Republicans

From Dollars To Death Panels: How Republicans Distorted Debates On Capitol Hill

Brian Beutler | November 27, 2009, 8:42AM

With Thanksgiving recess now upon us, it seems an appropriate time to revisit the hysterical Republican whoppers and talking points about the Democratic party agenda that have dominated this Congress. Herewith a top-five list:

Number Five: Paul Ryan Draws Line On Graph

Back in the Spring, when Democrats were putting together the federal budget, House Budget Committee ranking member Paul Ryan (R-WI) released a much-mocked Republican alternative, which would have basically canceled the stimulus and instituted a spending freeze of sorts. The ideas in the Republican alternative budget were roundly rebuked by experts, but Ryan wasn't deterred. Instead of accepting defeat, he unveiled some graphs suggesting that, under Republican budgets, spending would be restrained, while under Democratic budgets, it would blow through the roof.

Except his numbers weren't based on any analysis at all. Instead, Ryan used CBO numbers through 2018 and then drew an upward-sloping line on the graph completely at random. It didn't take long for Republicans to catch on and begin claiming that Democratic policies would make government spending half of GDP before the end of the century.

Read more »

Health Care

Dems Push Back On GOP Claims: Abortions Not Covered

Christina Bellantoni | November 19, 2009, 4:56PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

Democrats are jumping all over House Minority Leader John Boehner's claim the Senate health care bill includes an abortion "fee."

The DNC added the remark to its rapid response blast, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office sends word (again) that nothing in the bill mandates abortion coverage.

Reid's office says "no one will be forced to enroll in a plan that covers abortion services," and the bill requires each state's public plan make available at least one plan that won't cover abortion, a guarantee that pro-life customers can buy a policy that does not offer abortion coverage. (That guarantee doesn't currently exist.)

Read more »

John Boehner

DNC Responds To Boehner 'Monthly Abortion Premium' Claim, Would Like To Believe He Won't Say It Again...

Eric Kleefeld | November 19, 2009, 4:29PM

House Minority Leader John Boehner

The Democratic National Committee released a rapid response to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), who claimed that the Senate Democratic health care bill would result in Americans paying a "monthly abortion premium."

The response cites various media outlets that have fact-checked and/or debunked the claim that the Democratic bill would pay for abortions: "With such clear evidence to the contrary, we'd like to believe that this is the last time we'll hear this scare-tactic from Boehner and the Party of NO... but since all Republicans have to offer are more lies, we're not counting on it."

Health Care

GOP Claims Senate Bill Forces Taxpayers To Pay 'Abortion Fee'

Christina Bellantoni | November 19, 2009, 2:39PM

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH)

House Minority Leader John Boehner's office has posted a long statement blasting the Senate health care plan, specifically targeting the abortion provisions with an accusation it levies an "abortion premium fee."

As we have been reporting, abortion has been a major negotiating point, though the Senate version of the health care bill seems to be winning approval from pro-choice lawmakers today.

Boehner (R-OH) claims on his blog that "a monthly abortion premium will be charged of all enrollees in the government-run health plan" under Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's plan.

The GOP office says:

"It's right there beginning on line 11, page 122, section 1303, under 'Actuarial Value of Optional Service Coverage.' The premium will be paid into a U.S. Treasury account - and these federal funds will be used to pay for the abortion services. ... The Commissioner must charge at a minimum $1 per enrollee per month.

We've asked senate officials for a response and will update when we hear back.

After the jump, the language from page 122 (and more) of the bill related to abortion. Read the bill in full here.

Read more »

Health Care

Health Care Reactions Expected To Dominate Capitol Hill Today

Christina Bellantoni | November 19, 2009, 7:45AM

United States Capitol

It's a big day for health care and the reactions will be flooding the zone today.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid revealed his health care bill last night, with a $849 billion price tag. He's holding a big event at 12:15 at the Capitol Visitors Center (and the White House is reacting via a noon conference call).

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is holding her weekly press conference at 11 on Capitol Hill, Minority Leader John Boehner will talk about health care at 11:45.

Republican Sens. Judd Gregg and Lamar Alexander are briefing reporters this afternoon.

Volunteers from Organizing for America and pro-reform groups plan to attend Reid's event and show their health care spirit.

Sen. Chuck Schumer was on MSNBC this morning and predicted the bill will get the needed votes to pass.

He added, "When we get this done, poll numbers will go up."

Read more »

Guantanamo Bay

Retired Generals Accuse Boehner Of Playing Politics With National Security

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 18, 2009, 4:38PM

House Minority Leader John Boehner

A group of retired Generals led by former Maine Rep. Tom Andrews (D) accused the House GOP leader John Boehner of putting politics before national security today with his plan to force a vote on a bill that would prevent prisoners from being transferred from Guantanamo Bay to the United States.

The National Campaign To Close Guantanamo called Republican arguments that transferring Gitmo detainees to New York will endanger Americans "fear mongering." In a statement, Andrews pointed to past terror trials in the U.S. as evidence of his claim that the GOP is making political hay in the days since Attorney General Eric Holder announced that terror suspects will be tried in the U.S..

"Since 2001, 195 terrorists have been tried, convicted and locked up in federal supermax prisons on US soil under the Bush and Cheney administration," Andrews said. Boehner and other GOP leaders "never uttered a word of concern and opposition " back then, he continued, "but now that a Democratic President is doing it, the sky is going to fall and America will soon be under attack."

Read more »

Capitol Hill Tea Party

Cantor Promises Tea Partiers: 'Not One' GOP Vote For Health Care

Christina Bellantoni | November 5, 2009, 1:13PM

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA)

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) made it clear at the tea party "House Call" this afternoon that President Obama won't be getting his party's health care vote.

"Your efforts to stop this bill are being heard loud and clear," Cantor told the thousands gathered at the base of the Capitol in what some billed as a smaller reunion of the 9/12 rallies.

"Be assured not one Republican will vote for this bill," Cantor said, to big cheers and shouts of "Kill the bill."

Read more »

Health Care

Republican Health Insurance Reform Bill Insures Almost Nobody

Brian Beutler | November 5, 2009, 9:05AM

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH)

Earlier this week, a spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner made a prediction. The Republican health care plan, he said, "will cover millions more Americans" than the Democrats' plan. Bold. But here's what the experts say:

By 2019, CBO and JCT estimate, the number of nonelderly people without health insurance would be reduced by about 3 million relative to current law, leaving about 52 million nonelderly residents uninsured. The share of legal nonelderly residents with insurance coverage in 2019 would be about 83 percent, roughly in line with the current share.

Oops. You can read the entire analysis here (PDF).

To Boehner's dismay, the GOP bill was leaked to the media earlier this week, and quickly became a focus of derision for experts and activists who noted that, among other failings, the bill didn't include some of the most popular insurance regulations in the Democrats' bill, including a ban on pre-existing condition discrimination.

What else does CBO find?

Read more »

Health Care

Republican Health Care Bill Circulating On Capitol Hill Contains No Surprises

Brian Beutler | November 3, 2009, 12:31PM

House Minority Leader John Boehner

TPMDC has obtained a copy of a Republican health care bill, making the rounds on Capitol Hill. Republican leaders have not officially unveiled the package, and warn that it is still changing, but the early draft, contains almost surprises.

Among the legislation's major goals are to enact malpractice reform, allow consumers to buy health insurance over state lines, cancel a federal comparative effectiveness research program created by the stimulus bill, and prohibit taxpayer-funded abortions.

Read more »

John Boehner

Boehner Offers 'Shrug' To Foxx's Terrorism/Dem Health Care Bill Comparison

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 2, 2009, 5:10PM

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

House minority leader John Boehner refused to take a stand on Rep. Virginia Foxx's (R-NC) claim that Democratic-led health care reform is a worse threat to America than "any terrorist right now in any country."

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Boehner was asked about the statement, which Foxx made on the House floor. "Members are entitled to their own opinions," he said when asked if he agreed with the sentiment.

When pressed on whether Foxx's rhetoric "helped the debate" on health care, which the GOP in the House are trying to win against a large Democratic majority, Boehner sat quietly for a few seconds as though he was carefully considering his answer. Eventually he leaned back and grinned.

"I this is the part where you guys get the old Boehner shrug," he said to the reporters gathered around him before moving on to the next question.

NY-23

Boehner: 'Yes,' I Regret Giving Money To Dede Scozzafava

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 2, 2009, 4:46PM

House Minority Leader John Boehner

The leader of Republicans in the House said today that he regrets backing his party's nominee in the NY-23 special election. At a press conference with reporters on health care this afternoon, House Minority Leader was asked if he regretted his past endorsement and financial support for Dede Scozzafava, the GOP nominee in the race who dropped out over the weekend and endorsed her Democratic rival.

"Yes," Boehner said, flatly.

"This lady clearly has an agenda that's different from that of the Republican Party," he added. "She was out there to promote herself."

Boehner said that like the rest of the GOP establishment, he's turned his allegiances to the Conservative Party candidate in the race, Doug Hoffman. Boehner said he "looks forward to welcoming" Hoffman into the GOP caucus and said he hopes Hoffman beats Democratic nominee Bill Owens tomorrow.

Read more »

Health Care

House GOP Aim To Fight Pelosi Bill With Women

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 2, 2009, 4:29PM

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN)

House Republicans plan a full court press on health care this week, including the release of their own version of a health care reform bill. GOP leaders said today their goal is to make passage of the bill offered by Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week "as difficult as possible to vote for," and plan to use women to fight it.

"Our women leaders will take the premiere role" in a multi-pronged attack on the bill this week, House GOP conference chair Mike Pence said at press briefing with House minority leader John Boehner this afternoon.

The rest of their plans to combat the Pelosi bill include attacking specific provisions the pair said show the bill's true intent -- to nationalize the American health care system. They said that if the public read the bill, they would be outraged at the Democratic health care reform plans. Pence said his party intends to make sure the GOP reading of the bill is heard.

"Americans deserve to know what's in the bill," he said.

Read more »

Michele Bachmann

Bachmann's New Effort To Rally Against Congress -- And Do It Inside The Buildings -- Endorsed By GOP Leadership

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 12:54PM

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), who is best known for making inflammatory calls for revolution against President Obama, now has the full backing of the GOP leadership in her latest push to protest against the "tyranny" of the Obama administration.

As Greg Sargent reported, the spokesmen for both House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) supported Bachmann's call for a rally this Thursday in Washington against the Democrats' health care proposals, and her rallying cry: "If you believe in liberty, and if you're rejecting tyranny, this is it."

But what about the other part of Bachmann's initiative. She told Sean Hannity: "I'd love to have every one of your viewers to join me so we can go up and down through the halls, find members of Congress, look at the whites of their eyes and say, 'Don't take away my healthcare.'"

Read more »