House Republicans Say New Health Care Proposal Threatens Medicare Recipients

John DuBois, University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

A number of House Republicans argued Wednesday that cutting medicare funding will put both the program and its recipients in danger.

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said that the belief that the U.S. will be able to cut medicare funding without negative consequences is "the biggest fallacy in this new plan as we move forward."

Blunt said he was also concerned that the cuts would take money away from senior citizens who already have pre-paid into Medicare, a move Blunt says “will damage the system."

“It’s inappropriate to reduce the foundation of medicare in order to pay for a new government health plan,” Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) added.

Democrats, Inspired by Obama, Take First Congressional Baseball Game Since 2000

On Wednesday night Republican and Democratic congressmen faced off against one another at Nationals Park in the 48th annual Congressional Baseball Game. The Democrats won the game 15-10 in seven innings.

Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.), who said he started warming up his arm months ago for this game, pitched all seven innings for the Democrats. The Democrats won the game for the first time since 2000. Baca stated after the game that the team was inspired by the election of President Obama this year, and that it was time for change both on and off the field.

The home-team Democrats started off the scoring with a six-run second inning against GOP starter Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), but the Republicans quickly answered in the top of the third inning with six runs themselves.

The Democrats, aided by several fielding errors and walks, then scored nine runs in the bottom of the third off of reliever Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.). The Republicans mounted a small comeback in the top of the seventh and final inning, but their three runs were not enough to win the game.

Gingrich shows support for Republicans' energy protest

Continuing their protest, the House Republicans held a press conference in Statuary Hall in the Capitol with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Congressman Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) said Congress must come back from its five-week vacation and produce an up-or-down vote on the Republicans' American Energy Act. He said the Republicans will continue their protest on the House floor without microphones and lights until they get their vote.

Gingrich said there are pro-energy Democrats as well as pro-Energy Republicans. He said that although Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will block any vote, he is confident that the bill will achieve a majority when Congress returns in early September. Congressman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) said Democrats and Republicans can come together to make lasting pro-energy changes, but Speaker Pelosi must call back Congress, or at the very least schedule a vote on the first day Congress returns. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) called on Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to speak to Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) about bringing back the Senate as well, as the push for pro-energy legislation should be a two-party effort.

After the press conference, at 11:00 a.m., Putnam and Foxx, among other representatives, retreated to the House floor to continue their protest. Representatives spoke in front of more than four hundred tourists in the chamber. Putnam said that every day the House is out of session is another day the U.S. is dependent on foreign energy. The crowds in the chamber gave a massive standing ovation when Foxx declared the United States "the greatest country in the world."

GOP frustrated with dead-end drilling debate

Congressmen Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) and Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) held a pen and pad briefing on the recent American Energy Tour and used the opportunity to express their frustration with Democrats' anti-drilling position.

Putnam said that America has the tools it needs to solve the energy crisis, but requires new leadership to achieve energy independence. He said the Republicans plan on unveiling a bill that is an "all-of-the-above" approach to the oil crisis that includes measures on conservation, renewables, clean nuclear technology, and domestic exploration for oil. He said the bill would embody Republicans' open-mindedness and leadership, a stark contrast to Democrats' constant denial of even debate on the topic of drilling.

McCarthy said that in his recent tour of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), he learned that a key oil transmission line is not used to capacity and if exploration is not done, great amounts of oil will be lost. He said the Democrats' constant denial of drilling tells the American people that oil prices will continue to go up. Putnam added that Republicans are constantly offering what they are willing to do, while the Democrats only say what they are unwilling to do. He said his party is determined to force a vote on energy issues before the Congress breaks for August.

GOP Pen and pad

House Republican leaders Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Rep. Adam Putnum (R-Fla.) briefed reporters this afternoon at their weekly pen and pad briefing. Paramount to their discussion was the high cost of fuel which has dominated discussion on Capital Hill for the past few weeks.

Both Blunt and Putnam pointed to Rep. Gene Green (D-Tex.) as an example of Democrats not doing anything on high energy costs. Green today had said on the House floor “we need answers and not just slogans.” Blunt has told his members of the Republican Caucus that they should “talk about the issue of energy until they are blue in the face.”

Referring to the recent Medicare vote which passed the House, Blunt said “the Democrats did a great job where you had an active group of doctors and pharmacists.” But Blunt added that President Bush still has pull on Capital Hill. “I think on matters such as FISA and national security he still has got some pool,” said Blunt. Blunt, however, added that it is the threat of a presidential veto that has the strongest pull.

On the Supreme Courts decision today to overturn Washington D.C.’s hand gun ban the Minority Leader told reporters that there currently are no plans to do anything federally. Blunt added that he and Putnam would welcome any hearings on the issue of guns but joked “I doubt they’ll do that,” said Putnam.