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.

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.

RNC Chairman Congratulates GOP Gubernatorial Winners, Claims They Signal "Republican Renaissance"

By Laura Smith - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele congratulated new Republican Governor elects, Bob McDonnell for Virginia, and Chris Christie for New Jersey, citing their victories as signs of a "Republican renaissance."

"The Republican renaissance has begun," said Steele. “The message was sent yesterday. It’s not about the change we need, it’s about the change we want.”

“As recently as a couple of months ago, Republicans were written off," Steele added. "Many of you were writing our epitaph."

He went on to say that independents played an important role Tuesday night, explaining that Republicans won independents 2-1.

“The real heroes last night, who brought home the victory, are the Republicans, Independents and yes, even Democrats, who spoke up against an incredibly arrogant government in Washington that has put our country our freedoms and our economy at risk with unprecedented spending,” he said.

A reporter asked Chairman Steele if he thought the loss of third party conservative candidate Dough Hoffman in New York's 23rd Congressional district should have been a warning to conservatives that they should back off the local party process. Steele responded, “There should have been, in New York 23, a primary process. There should have been a process that involved something other than having individuals in coordination with the state party make that decision. This is what happens in hot contestant races when you have that type of process in place.”

Republicans Concerned About Proposed Consumer Finance Protection Agency

By Ravi Bhatia-Talk Radio News Service

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and other Republican Congressmen delivered statements today at the U.S. Capitol opposing the proposed Consumer Finance Protection Agency.

The bill that would lead to its establishment, pushed by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), would create an agency to oversee nearly all facets of consumer lending. The Committee will vote on the bill by the end of the week.

“Increased government regulation isn’t always the answer,” Cantor said. “We need, perhaps, smart regulation, but more [isn’t always] the right solution.”

Supporters of the bill say that the agency will pull together consumer oversight powers scattered among various agencies, making consumer interests a higher priority.

“The new Consumer Financial Protection Agency that I've asked Congress to create will have just one mission:  to look out for the financial interests of ordinary Americans,” said President Barack Obama in a statement released Oct. 9. “It will be charged with setting clear rules of the road for consumers and banks, and it will be able to enforce those rules across the board.”

However, the Republicans at today's briefing are concerned that the agency will concentrate too much power into one organization, or possibly even one person.

“What has been proposed by the Democrats is a new consumer finance rationing and design authority,” said Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee. “It gives one person - a credit rationing czar - the right to make all types of decisions. Of all the losers, the greatest loser, if this legislation passes, is going to be small business, because small business [is already] having trouble getting financing.”

UPDATE: By a tally of 32-29, the House Financial Services Committee voted to approve the Consumer Financial Protection Agency on Thursday.

Dem. Senators Pressure The Right To Move Faster With Unemployment Benefits Bill

By Ravi Bhatia-Talk Radio News Service

Democratic senators accused their Republican colleagues of becoming “A party of ‘No’” today on Capitol Hill, expressing concern that the right is delaying a bill to extend unemployment benefits for 14 additional weeks to those whose benefits are expiring before 2010.

The bill would add 20 additional weeks of unemployment benefits to citizens in states suffering the highest unemployment rates, such as Rhode Island and Michigan.

“Every state has been hit by this recession, every state is seeing these problems,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I) said. “The Republicans have thrown up opposition in terms of requesting a CBO score when we know [the bill] is fully paid for and fully offset. Now they’re delaying passage by offering amendments that have nothing to do with unemployment. Instead of action, they are just simply saying 'no'.”

Every dollar of unemployment benefits generates $1.60, according to Reed, who later added that the Republicans proposed attaching amendments that relate to ACORN funding and extending the $8,000 real estate tax credit.

Employers pay state and federal unemployment taxes. To pay for the bill, the Democrats proposed extending federal unemployment taxes one more year. Republican senators want the bill to be paid for by other means.

The national unemployment rate has reached 9.8 percent and continues to climb, according to the U.S Deptartment of Labor.

“We don’t need more foreclosures. We need to help folks,” said Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), whose state’s unemployment rate is at 7.6 percent. “And this is the time to do it.”