House Democrats Support Executive Order On Debt Limit

Vanessa Remmers

House Democratic leaders are prepared to stand behind President Obama if he issues an executive order to increase the debt ceiling in the event Congress fails to reach a debt limit deal before August 2.

“House Republicans have failed to govern, failure is not an option for our country, and therefore, you leave it to the President to take whatever action is within his power,” Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) said.

In his push for an executive order, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) drew from President Truman’s executive order in the 1940’s.

“[An executive order to raise the debt ceiling] will bring calm to the American people and stability to financial markets,” Clyburn said.

Both House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) and Clyburn said the President should veto a short-term debt ceiling increase with the same pen that he signs an executive order, even though both recognized the President’s firm stance on the issue.

In regard to House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) budget plan, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) chuckled at its potential support and rumored uptick in momentum.

“The real question is how many Republicans would vote for it,” Larson said.

The final result of the budget battle remains uncertain as Larson admitted that more Democrats would vote for the Reid plan, but placed all predictions on conditional terms.

Congressional Democrats Call For Improved Health Care For Rural Americans

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

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Reps. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) and Steve Kagen (D-Wisc.) came out Thursday to support a report released by the Center for Community Change and the Center for Rural Affairs on rural communities' attitudes toward health care reform.

"Health care currently is for the privileged and that’s not how it should be,” Clyburn said.

According to the report, entitled "Sweet The Bitter Drought: Why America Needs Health Care Reform," 82 percent of rural counties are classified as medically under-served areas. Medicaid and Medicare account for 60 percent of rural hospital revenues. In 2006, twenty-five percent of family farmers with health insurance reported debt from medical expenses. The likelihood that rural Americans are under-insured are seventy percent higher than for urban Americans.

“Medical debt leaves women and rural americans afraid because doctors won't give them check-ups without insurance, even if it is a dire situation,” said Cindy Shawcross of the People Escaping Poverty Project.

War Over Health Care Rages On Between Members Of Both Parties

By Sam Wechsler - Talk Radio News Service

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) stated Monday that “when you look at the Democrat proposal [for health care reform], it’s clear that it’s going to drive the cost of health care even higher.”

A few minutes later, down the hall of the Capitol, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said, “I don’t think we ought to be talking about what it's going to cost us to do this plan. What we should be talking about is what is it going to cost us if we don’t do this.”

The differing partisan opinions didn't end there.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) pointed out that the CEO of a top insurance company earned $24 million in compensation this past year. “It’s time to add more competition and more choice,” he said.

“If the Democrats get their way on health care, you’ll probably lose your health insurance and you might just lose your job,” House Republican Chair Mike Pence said Monday (R-Ind.). Pence cited White House chief economic advisor Christina Romer in saying that the business tax hikes alone will kill up to 4.7 million jobs. Boehner added that the tax hikes will disproportionately hit small businesses the most.

Meanwhile, House Democratic Chair John Larson (D-Conn.) estimated that close to 16,000 small business employees in Boehner’s district would be able to get health insurance thanks to Democratic health care reform. Larson also claimed that 91,000 people would have access to health insurance in Pence’s district.

Said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), “This is about the American people. It’s about making them healthier, more economically secure, and to have more choices in their lives.”

Boehner, however, disagreed with the Speaker.

“At a time when most Americans are asking the question ‘where are the jobs?’ we don’t need to be instituting policies that will drive the cost of employment higher....and raise the unemployment rate,” he argued.

U.S. health care "unacceptable" and "un-American"

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on “H.R. 3014, Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007,” in order to discuss how to improve the health of minority individuals in the U.S. Vice Chairman Lois Capps (D-Calif.) said that the U.S. needs this bill “now more than ever,” and that it is embarrassing that the U.S. cannot extend health care to every citizen. Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) said that it is time for Congress to put the best ideas and practices together and bridge the gap of health disparities.

Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) said that Houston has the third largest Hispanic population in the U.S. and the lack of access to health care for them continues to be a huge barrier. Green explained that half of the total uninsured population in his district consisted of minorities. Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) said that the existence of racial and ethnic health disparities in every aspect of health care is well documented. Dingell also said that “in a country as great as ours,” the idea that one’s ethnic or racial background factors into their chance of living a healthy and productive life is “simply unacceptable.” Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) said that the U.S. health care system is “unacceptable and un-American.”

Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said that prevention and control of diseases, along with protection and promotion of the health of the American people are the primary mandate of public health. Clyburn also explained that in 2005 a United Nations Development Program report entitled: Inequality in the United States Healthcare System, said that U.S. private-public health care system should not be used as a model for other countries. Clyburn said that he has seen too many friends and family who have died from diseases that the bill aims to address, and he came to testify on behalf of those who don’t have health care.

Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said that health care access and affordability is the number one issue the U.S. faces today. The health care bill, Moran said, is about “saving lives today.” Moran explained that Americans living in rural cities can also be considered minorities. He said that elderly, rural Americans are more likely to have a chronic disease and less likely to receive the recommended pre-screenings, preventive screenings, and checkups.