GOP Underminding Health Reform At All Costs, Says Hoyer

By Laurel Brishel Prichard
University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters Tuesday that Americans are more concerned with whether or not health reform passes than the means by which it is passed.

“We talk a lot about process in this town,” said Hoyer. “'So what?' says the American public. What they are interested in is what resulted. 'What did you do for me and my family to make my life more secure and greater quality?'”

Despite bipartisan efforts to prevent the legislation from passing, Hoyer said he's hopeful the bill will persevere. The Majority Leader disputed a popular claim that reform will deal a large blow to seniors on Medicare.

“The Republicans have been doing everything in their power to undermine the health care legislation,” he said.

According to Hoyer, Republicans are obstructing reform regardless of what is in the bill. “They continue to scare the public, some of which has worked, by saying this is a government takeover of health care. That is absolutely untrue.”

While a vote on the bill has not yet been announced, Hoyer assured that one will take place very soon.

Obama's Pacific Trip Aimed At Bolstering Diplomatic, Economic Ties

By Laurel Brishel Prichard University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

White house officials voiced the serious nature of President Barack Obama's upcoming diplomatic visit to Indonesia, Guam and Australia during a conference call with reporters Monday and stressed that the focus of the trip is to strengthen both political and economic relationships with the countries.

“This trip to Indonesia and Australia is an important opportunity to advance Americas’ security and economic interests in a very vital part of the world,” said Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes during a conference call with reporters. “The Asia Pacific region is of growing importance.”

Obama will first make a one day visit to Guam, where he will host a public with military personnel posted in area. Obama will then be off to Indonesia, which, according to Rhodes, has been critical to the United States' direction in the war on terror.

The president will be giving a speech directed to the Indonesian people during his stay to relay his personal sentiments with the country stemming from the time he spent in the country as a child.

“This is an opportunity for [Obama] to discuss the comprehensive partnership that we’re developing with Indonesia and the Indonesian people,” said Rhodes.

After the two day stay, Obama will travel to Australia, which has become an increasingly strong ally to the U.S. in recent years.

According to Rhodes, Australia has been pushing with the U.S. to help forward action to decrease environmental factors that damage the planet

“In many ways its a model alliance for the United States. We have very robust cooperation with the Australians on security issues, economic issues and environmental issues,” said Rhodes.

The president was initially supposed to leave Wednesday, but has re-scheduled the trip for Sunday amid Congressional action on health care reform.

National Governors Association Urges States To Prepare For Transition In Health Care Delivery

By Laurel Brishel Prichard University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

The National Governors Association (NGA) urged governors Monday to prepare for changes in how health care is delivered in their states, regardless of reform legislation’s final language.

“If something does pass, states are going to need to quickly move into action,” Andrea Maresca, the Legislative Director for Health Care at the NGA, said during the organization’s winter conference in Washington, D.C.

Added Maresca, “As the process has moved farther along we’ve seen a growing interest from federal policy makers about what states’ role is and clearly a shift in thinking about how governors and key leaders within the states are going to be involved in the implication process.”

NGA Director for the Health & Human Services Committee Matt Salo, who also spoke at the conference, said many governors have been extremely concerned on how the reform will effect Medicaid programs, and explained that while the temporary financing for Medicaid from the recovery act will eventually run out, Congress has been open to extending $26 billion over 6 months to help ease the states in moving into a new era of health care.

Democrats Writing Healthcare Bill Behind Closed Doors, Gregg Accuses

By Laurel Brishel Prichard
University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Sens. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said Thursday that the health reform bill must first become a law before reconciliation can be used to amend it.

“So much of this bill may be subject to the Byrd Rule and may go in one way and come out another way, assuming it comes out at all,” Gregg told reporters during a brief session.

Senate Republicans have secured 41 signatures on a letter demanding that reconciliation only be used on legislation involving budget adjustments, and not major policy changes, said Alexander.

“If any sentence is deemed that the policy is more significant then the budget adjustments that it applies to...it will be knocked out, the paragraph will be knocked out, and the section will be knocked out,” said Gregg.

Alexander reiterated a GOP desire to deal with reforming the nation's healthcare system in a "step-by-step" manner. Gregg agreed, and argued that a more piecemeal approach would yield a more transparent process.

“The simple fact is [Democrats] are hiding the bill. This is another one of those processes where it's being written in a hidden room, behind a hidden room, behind a hidden door,” said Gregg.

Bipartisan Caucus Calling On Government To Balance The Budget

By Laurel Brishel Prichard
University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) along with Reps. Jim Marshall (D-GA) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) unveiled new legislation on Thursday aimed at balancing the federal budget. According to Marshall, H.J. Res. 1 is an amendment that would force government to “make the tough decisions.”

Over the past 50 years, the nation's budget has been in balance only four times, said Marshall. This amendment would attempt to balance the budget within five years, which “will be a major challenge,” he said.

“It’s not the concept that is hard; it’s finding the will to do so. Millions of American families do it. Millions of American small businesses do it. 49 states do it. It's time for the federal government to do it too,” said Coffman.

With the country's debt currently over $12 trillion, the legislation would place restraints on how the government keeps its books. Even President Barack Obama would be required to submit a proposed budget for any fiscal year in which total outlays would not exceed total receipts.

“The problem that we have right now is that everyone gets what they want,” Coffman lamented.

In 1995 and 1997, a similar amendment passed through the House, but ultimately died in the Senate. This newly formed bipartisan caucus would fight to ensure the amendment passes this time around.

"I think this amendment will pass if we just get it out of the House and Senate...The states will [ratify] this in a heartbeat," said Marshall.

The resolution currently has 175 cosponsors, and needs just 125 more to reach the required two-thirds majority in order to pass the House.