House Democrats Uncertain If Health Care Bill Will Reach Conference Committee

Leading House Democrats could not confirm Tuesday whether Congress will avoid reconciling the two legislative bodies’ health care reform legislation within a conference committee.

“We don’t even know yet if there’s going to be a conference,” said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) during a press conference Tuesday. “It’s not clear yet whether or not that’s going to happen.”

It has been rumored in recent days that Congress may seek to hold private negotiations with House and Senate leaders as an alternative to the conference, a possibility that critics charge will eliminate transparency.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) waved away such concerns.

“There has never been a more open process for any legislation in anyone who has served here’s experience,” the Speaker said.

Pelosi And Others Credit Stimulus For Boom In Scientific Research Spending

By Ravi Bhatia - Talk Radio News Service

On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), along with other House members and representatives from various universities, touted the research conducted with money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Also known as the stimulus package, the ARRA allocated $21.5 billion for scientific research, purchasing equipment and science-related construction projects.

“There was a time, if you promise not to tell anybody, when in Washington you had to choose between science and faith, take your pick,” Pelosi said. “And [then] we said, 'science is an answer to our prayers.' It’s all pretty compatible.”

The university officials universities pointed to the website www.scienceworksforUS.org, which details the stimulus-sponsored research being conducted across the country. ScienceWorksForUS is an initiative of the Association of American Universities, the Association of Land Grant Universities, and the Science Coalition, who together represent 200 research institutions.

The GOP’s Lenient Definition Of ‘Egregious’

By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

For what has been described in the Wall Street Journal as the “worst bill ever,” Congressional Republicans certainly seem to be padding their list of grievances over the House health care bill with things that are less scary and more, well … sensible.

The House Republican Conference has kindly given reporters a directory of provisions in the bill found to be “egregious, questionable, or potentially absurd.”

Included in this list is a reference to page 872-Section 1433, which, in the conference’s words, “requires the director of food services at nursing facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid to hold ‘military, academic, or other qualifications’ as determined by federal bureaucrats.”

Sans the editorial liberty taken to invoke the specter of spooky federal bureaucrats, one is left to wonder what about this requirement is particularly egregious, questionable or potentially absurd. After all, this is a warning from the party that has portrayed seniors as sacred cows throughout the entire health care debate, from threats that Obamacare would pull the plug on grandma to suddenly realizing that Medicare isn’t as bad as it was forty years ago. Wouldn’t it make sense to have the staff that tends dear old granny’s meals be qualified? Especially through an academic or military institution?

When asked for clarification, a staffer for a high-ranking Republican representative simply responded that it is a sign of more government intrusion into the lives of Americans.

Of course, the American people whose lives are being intruded upon by this provision are seniors living in nursing homes funded by Medicare. So to summarize: Medicare is an untouchable institution, but requiring
a director that either directly or indirectly benefits from Medicare funds to be properly trained is an intrusion.

Fair enough, if you perform adequate mental gymnastics. That is, until you consider how closely this resembles a provision included in No Child Left Behind, an act proposed by a Republican President and passed through a GOP-controlled Congress.

According to Part A, Section 119, “Each local educational agency receiving assistance under this part shall ensure that all teachers hired after such day and teaching in a program supported with funds under this part are highly qualified.”

All one needs to do is add “by federal bureaucrats” to the end of this sentence and voila: government intrusion.

In the film Citizen Kane, the character Leland tells Charles Foster Kane “You don't care about anything except you… you want love on your own terms. Something to be played your way, according to your rules.”

This seems to embody the Republican mentality post-2006. So-called dithering on Afghanistan, appointing high-profile czars or, in this case, requiring recipients of government funds to fit the right
profile is fine if you’re in the right party, but try it as a Democrat and suddenly it’s egregious, questionable, or potentially absurd. It’s a double standard.

Either that, or the Republican Conference is grasping at straws.

Pelosi: Amendment Clarifying Abortion Funding May Not Make It Into Health Care Bill

By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico- Talk Radio News Service

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that the decision has not been made over whether lawmakers will be allowed to offer amendments to the Affordable Health Care for All Americans Act once it reaches chamber floor, including any amendment pertaining to abortion.

“We may not have any amendments,” Pelosi said during her weekly press conference.

Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.) and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) along with many other pro-life democrats have threatened to oppose the bill until language barring federal funding for abortions is introduced.

Current versions of the House health care legislation do not directly address the issue of abortion, however House leaders have maintained throughout the health care debate that the bill would not allow abortions to be federally funded.

The Speaker needs 218 votes to pass the bill, including as many pro-life Democrats as possible. Pelosi said that although she knows some Democrats have strong convictions regarding abortion, she still believes in their support for health care reform.

"Congressman Ellsworth's record in Congress and his statements outside of Congress have been strongly pro-life," Pelosi said. "He and others who have strong pro-life convictions want very much to see a health care bill passed."

The House Rules Committee Friday will finalize all the rules for this weekend's House health care debate.

Pelosi Trumpets Democrats' House Wins

By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico- Talk Radio News Service

While Republicans celebrated their parties numerous victories from Tuesday’s elections, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that she was not disappointed by the results.

"From our standpoint, we picked up votes last night, one in California and one in New York," Pelosi said during a press appearance, referencing the special elections held in New York's 23rd Congressional district and California's 10th.

"From our perspective, we won last night," Pelosi added. "From our standpoint...a candidate was victorious who supports health care reform.”

The Speaker did not acknowledge the fact that Democratic gubernatorial losses in New Jersey and Virginia may have a negative political impact on her efforts to win votes to pass the America’s Healthy Choices Act, the bill to reform the health care system, through the House.

Pelosi instead focused on the Democratic wins in the two special elections for House seats.