McCain Returns To D.C., U.S. Senate Will Tackle Health Care

The U.S. Senate schedule for Tuesday, July 25, 2017, is brief but includes the much-watched and very important health care issue that Republicans will bring to the floor with a procedural vote to begin debate on repealing the Affordable Care Act (background here).

From the Senate website this morning:

The Senate stands adjourned until 12:00 noon on Tuesday, July 25, 2017.

Following Leader remarks, we expect Senator McConnell to move to proceed to the consideration of Calendar #175, H.R.2810, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, until moving to proceed to the reconciliation vehicle (Republican health care bill) post-lunch.

That’s it.

Yet Senator John McCain, sidelined in Arizona last week after doctors diagnosed brain cancer, is flying back to D.C. because his vote is needed as Republicans work to repeal the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare. There is a razor-thin margin between passage and failure.

On Monday McCain’s office released this press release:

“Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea.”

Stay tuned….

 

 

President Loses Interest In Negotiating Trumpcare, Willing to Leave Obmacare as Law

After two months in office, Donald Trump appeared to be giving up on his vow to supporters to repeal and replace Obamacare with his Thursday night ultimatum. Congress, he said, was to pass the Republican version of health care aka Trumpcare, or he was going to move on to the next item on his to-do list.

Never mind that many feel that this process is eerily reminiscent of eight years ago when Obamacare was jammed down the throats of unwilling Americans, and Nancy Pelosi infamously said the bill had to be passed before we could know what was in it. Conservatives were livid. They marched on D.C. to protest. They showed up at town halls to express their displeasure.

It did no good. Democrats passed Obamacare because they were in control and outvoted the dissenting Republicans. That was in December 2009, eleven months after Obama took office as president. It was a stunning rebuke of the opposite party and an obviously unhappy electorate.  At mid-term Democrats paid a huge price.

Fast forward to today — Friday, March 24, 2017. Perhaps it’s fitting that today is cold with rain and sleet in the nation’s capital because the reality was an ultimatum had been issued from the White House. It was now or never on health care.  That could work either way: jump on board, or dig in heels against the bill. With a vote scheduled for this afternoon, the morning hours were spent whipping up additional votes to try and pass the legislation that has been deemed ObamacareLite by those familiar with the bill.

Speaker Bill Howell pushes back at WaPost editorial on Medicaid expansion

By Lynn R. Mitchell

On Sunday the Washington Post editorial board took aim at Virginia Republicans generally, and specifically at Speaker Bill Howell (see ‘Massive resistance,’ again, in Virginia). Speaker Howell responded to the broad-brushed accusations in a statement:

“This editorial is patently offensive to not only me, but also to the many honorable men and women serving in the House of Delegates and the millions of hard-working taxpayers who share our deep public policy concerns about Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. To compare the legitimate and widely-acknowledged policy concerns we have with Medicaid expansion to the shameful and ignorant policy of massive resistance is not only outrageous, it is, frankly, indefensible.

Mitch McConnell becomes Senate Majority Leader

By Gregg Hilton
Guest Post

This is the change we can believe in. The eight years of Democratic rule are over and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is now in power. The first two bills of the GOP Senate are authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline and placing sanctions on Iran.

Most conservatives are thrilled but the libertarian group FreedomWorks and radio host Glenn Beck are not among them. Beck claims, “McConnell is as big of a danger to our country as Barack Obama is.” He calls McConnell a “progressive on the right” and says he is not doing enough to stop Obamacare.

U.S. House schedule for Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014

From Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office….

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9TH
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. First votes expected: 1:00-2:00 p.m. Last votes expected: 3:15-4:15 p.m.

One Minute Speeches 

Preview: Ed Gillespie’s new TV ad … ‘Changed’

By Lynn R. Mitchell

The newest ad from the Gillespie campaign is out and will begin airing Saturday: “Senator Mark Warner’s actions in relation to a matter under FBI investigation, and he refuses to answer questions about his role in the scandal. In what has been described as ‘raw, ugly politics,’ Senator Warner ‘dangled a lifetime appointment to the federal bench’ in an effort to help Governor Terry McAuliffe expand Obamacare in Virginia.” From the Gillespie campaign:

Ed Gillespie offers alternative health care plan

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell

By Lynn R. Mitchell

It’s here! Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ed Gillespie has rolled out his alternative health care plan to counter Obamacare, to good reviews (see Ed Gillespie, Senate candidate in Virginia, unveils alternative to Affordable Care Act by Rachel Weiner).

Winchester Star: Mark Warner a ‘reflexive liberal’

By Lynn R. Mitchell

The Winchester Star wants to know whom is Mark Warner trying to kid by professing to be a “radical centrist” in their Thursday editorial (see Our View: A Reminder — There is a Senate race in Virginia):

Five years ago this week — Wednesday, to be exact — the newly minted Mr. Warner faced a rather contentious crowd of nearly 2,000 people at a “town hall” gathering in Fredericksburg. The issue du jour: health care.

WSJ: ‘Health Care and the $20,000 bruise’

By Lynn R. Mitchell

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article today from Dr. Eric Michael David who writes a first-hand account about his young son’s emergency room visit that turned out to be nothing more serious than a bruise on his head, and his shock at receiving a $20,000 charge. Because he is a doctor (and a lawyer), he was able to navigate the medical system to negotiate the bill but his experience is a lesson to us all.

Mark Warner said he wouldn’t vote to take away your health care plan. He did.

By Lynn R. Mitchell

“I’m not going to support a health care reform plan that’s going to take away health care that you’ve got right now or a health care plan you like.”
–– Senator Mark Warner (2009)

Vote Ed Gillespie for U.S. Senate

Obamacare loses, Hobby Lobby wins in Supreme Court decision

By Lynn R. Mitchell

The internet has exploded with the news of today’s landmark Supreme Court decision in favor of craft supply giant Hobby Lobby and its stand against the overreaching of Obamacare. Every news outlet has coverage so I won’t repeat it here but be sure to check out Justin Higgins’ post at JHPolitics (see Supreme Court sides with Hobby Lobby against Obamacare contraception mandate).

Will tea party glee be short-lived?

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Anything can happen at political conventions. That was evident in the 2013 Virginia Republican State Convention with the candidates that were elected to represent the GOP on November’s ballot.  It was again proven at Saturday’s 7th Congressional District Convention when backers of Fred Gruber, head of the Louisa County tea party, turned out to vote for him as chairman over long-time Republican volunteer and incumbent Linwood Cobb.

Medicaid expansion … looking for solutions instead of just saying no

By Lynn R. Mitchell

It’s an interesting stand-off in Augusta County with the discussion (or lack of for some) about Medicaid expansion and what to do about those who fall through the cracks of coverage. If I listen to those to the political right of me, the solution is that we should do nothing, shut down, just say no.