[Beauseaccerce]

TPM: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...aw.php?ref=fpb

The House of Representatives voted Wednesday evening to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- President Obama's signature accomplishment and the single most consequential piece of legislation Democrats passed in the 111th Congress.

All Republicans and 3 Democrats voted for the repeal measure, while 189 Democrats voted to preserve the new reforms. The final vote was 245-189. The three Democrats who voted for repeal were Reps. Mike Ross (D-AK), Mike McIntyre (D-NC) and Dan Boren (D-OK). The only member who didn't vote was Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), who remains in the hospital following an assassination attempt on Jan. 8.

The vote fulfills one of the GOP's main promises to its base ahead of the November midterms, when they retook control of the House from the Democrats. But it's a Pyrrhic victory for conservatives. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has signaled he won't hold a vote on repeal, and any effort by the GOP to force that vote will be met with fierce resistance by Democrats who still hold a majority in the upper chamber.

[asSexate]

Let the spin begin. First up to bat, "It's a promise kept," declared Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana.

A meaningless vote with no hopes of passage in the Senate? Please, don't make me any promises.

[tipoketpu]

By Spin you mean what Richard is attempting to do right now?

[Kafuuil]

No, Paul, by "spin" I meant exactly what I posted, Pence's statement. You know what this vote was as well I. It's all spin from all sides. That's politics 101.

While the Republicans are trying to spin this bill as some kind of job-killing, budget busting socialist government takeover, they knew going in it wasn't going anywhere. But, it was a hyper political show of support to the base.

On the other side, I got an email from Pres. Obama's fund raising arm just hours after the vote passed yesterday. It stated something to effect of "a vote to repeal is a vote for the insurance companies." Please.

Do these politicians honestly believe we're all that stupid? The insurance companies stand to profit greatly from this bill. The Democrats know it, the Republicans know it and any voter with a brain knows it. I didn't see any huge campaign from the insurance industry calling for repeal, did you? Nationwide is on the side of money.

[Poeetiol]

The bill is really not likely to become Law but it is not impossible that it will pass the Senate, there are a few Dem Senators that might be inclined to vote for repeal if the GOP Senators are strong enough to force the Senate to vote. Then you force the President to Veto it. This is hardly symbolic and really not meaningless.

[gghrdfffhfyj]

The Republicans are already on to another tactic. They've given up on that one, Paul. Now, they've decided to form panels to discuss ideas to formulate a health care reform plan of their own. Good. More power to them. A lot more constructive than than trying taking meaningless votes that are going nowhere, although, why didn't they do this 18 months ago?

[QuidQuoPro]

Here is a GOP bill from 14½ months ago (Does it have to be 18 months ago, is that some kind of magical time?)

http://rules-republicans.house.gov/M...tive3962_9.pdf

[Marlboro-oroblraM]

That's an amendement, sponsored by John Boehner, to one bill related to the HCR bill that passed, not a bill in itself. The amendment was attached to this bill: H.R. 3962: Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010. Boehner's amendment was brought up for a vote on the floor of the House and failed. Which kind of begs the question, how come Spkr. Boehner and the rest of the Republicans claim they had no say in this bill? Of course they did. This amendment proves it.

Here is the summary of that amendment, from the Library of Congress, Thomas:

2. H.AMDT.510 to H.R.3962 Amendment in the nature of a substitute sought to create Universal Access Programs that expand and reform high-risk pools and reinsurance programs; sought to prevent insurers from unjustly canceling a policy or instituting annual or lifetime spending caps; sought to put in place medical liability reforms and give small businesses the power to pool together and offer health care at lower prices; sought to prohibit all Federal funds, whether they are authorized funds or appropriated funds, from being used to pay for abortions; and sought to create new incentives to save for future and long-term care needs by allowing qualified participants to use HSAs to pay premiums.
Sponsor: Rep Boehner, John A. [OH-8] (introduced 11/7/2009) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 11/7/2009 House amendment not agreed to. Status: On agreeing to the Boehner amendment (A002) Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 176 - 258 (Roll no. 885).

[Unoloknovagog]

That's an amendement, sponsored by John Boehner, to one bill related to the HCR bill that passed, not a bill in itself. The amendment was attached to this bill: H.R. 3962: Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act of 2010. Boehner's amendment was brought up for a vote on the floor of the House and failed. Which kind of begs the question, how come Spkr. Boehner and the rest of the Republicans claim they had no say in this bill? Of course they did. This amendment proves it.

Here is the summary of that amendment, from the Library of Congress, Thomas:

Really do actually believe what you are saying or do you actually know that while technically offered as an amendment it actually replaces the entire Dem bill. A tactic the GOP had to use because they were given little input into HR 3962. You know that this amendment is an actual attempt to replace in whole the of this HR 3962 originally Affordable Health Care for America Act? Right?

[gIWnXYkw]

Paul, Pres. Obama and his staff and the Congressional staff under Pelosi worked on the language of the bill for months and this bill was all over the news, with Republican leaders such as Boehner regularly opposing it in the press. You will never convince me that the Republicans didn't know what was going on. Pres. Obama campaigned on this legislation. If I am to believe that the Republicans were ambushed by this bill, then I must also believe they were asleep at the wheel and not doing their jobs.

Mr. Boehner introduced the amendment and it failed. If that was the best they could do, so be it.

[viiagrag]

Paul, Pres. Obama and his staff and the Congressional staff under Pelosi worked on the language of the bill for months and this bill was all over the news, with Republican leaders such as Boehner regularly opposing it in the press. You will never convince me that the Republicans didn't know what was going on. Pres. Obama campaigned on this legislation. If I am to believe that the Republicans were ambushed by this bill, then I must also believe they were asleep at the wheel and not doing their jobs.

Mr. Boehner introduced the amendment and it failed. If that was the best they could do, so be it.

You are missing the point entirely, not having real input into the bill is entirely different than opposing a bill or being ambushed by it. What I am saying is that your belief that the GOP didn't have an alternative bill to the DEM bill way back when is incorrect. Or did you mean something else when you said; ..... Now, they've decided to form panels to discuss ideas to formulate a health care reform plan of their own. Good. More power to them. A lot more constructive than than trying taking meaningless votes that are going nowhere, although, why didn't they do this 18 months ago?

[etdgxcnc]

I meant exactly what I wrote, Paul. They never came up with an alternative bill. Pushing an amendment at the 11th hour only to have it fail was just another symbolic gesture following months of obstructionism on their part.

[nanyaHgoc]

I meant exactly what I wrote, Paul. They never came up with an alternative bill. Pushing an amendment at the 11th hour only to have it fail was just another symbolic gesture following months of obstructionism on their part.

That is absolutely false, and you know it, the amendment was in fact an entire alternative bill, that, in fact would have abrogated the entire Dem bill. That is why the proposed GOP amendment begins with Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following: It had to be offered as an amendment otherwise it would never have seen the light of day as an actual bill. Why because the GOP was for all practicle purpose denied input into the DEM bill. A technicality.

Why the complete and utter distortion on your part?

[Alexeryy]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, Paul. I don't see any sense in going around in circles.