TPMDC
Judd Gregg

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.

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Topics: Budget, CBO, Cap-and-Trade, Climate Change, Death Panels, Defense Spending, Democrats, Health Care, House of Representatives, James Inhofe, Jim Inhofe, John Boehner, Judd Gregg, Paul Ryan, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Senate

Health Care

GOP Meme: Senate Health Care Bill Actually Costs $2.5 Trillion

Brian Beutler | November 23, 2009, 3:50PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Whenever a Democratic agenda item spends some time in the spotlight--be it health care or energy--Republicans do a little hocus pocus and claim that, whatever the CBO might believe, the true costs of reform are sky high. So it's no surprise that the new GOP line regarding the Senate health care bill is that it's actually three times more expensive over a 10 year window than the CBO says it will be.

Where does this number--$2.5 trillion--come from? In this USA Today counterpoint, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), cites this article in The Hill. But the article in question simply quotes Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) who seems to pull the number out of thin air. "When fully implemented, it will cost $2.5 trillion," McConnell said.

And where did McConnell get this idea?

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Topics: CBO, Health Care, John Ensign, Judd Gregg, Mitch McConnell, Republicans, Senate

Roundup

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | November 14, 2009, 1:04PM

Obama: Fort Hood Shooting Will Be Fully Reviewed
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama said there will be a full investigation of the shooting at Fort Hood, and whether better steps could have been taken to prevent it:

"The purpose of this review is clear: We must compile every piece of information that was known about the gunman, and we must learn what was done with that information," said Obama. "Once we have those facts, we must act upon them. If there was a failure to take appropriate action before the shootings, there must be accountability. Beyond that - and most importantly - we must quickly and thoroughly evaluate and address any flaws in the system, so that we can prevent a similar breach from happening again. Our government must be able to act swiftly and surely when it has threatening information. And our troops must have the security that they deserve."

Kirk: Dem Health Care Bill Would Make Top Taxes Worse Than France
This weekend's Republican address is by Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), a candidate for President Obama's former Senate seat in 2010. Kirk attacks the Democrats on health care -- and even says it would make some Americans worse off than if they were in France:

"The Pelosi health care bill has no significant lawsuit reforms and does not guarantee your medical rights from government waiting lines or restrictions," said Kirk. "In the teeth of the Great Recession, the Pelosi bill would impose ten new taxes on the American economy. The top combined tax rate for my state of Illinois would be four percentage points higher than France."

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Topics: Barack Obama, Grover Norquist, Harry Reid, Health Care, House '10, IL-SEN, John McCain, Judd Gregg, Mark Kirk, NRCC, NV-SEN, Roundup, Sarah Palin, Senate '10

Sunday Shows

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | November 13, 2009, 1:50PM

Hillary Clinton, Sec. of State

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

• CBS, Face The Nation: Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

• CNN, State Of The Union: White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod; Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH); Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT).

• Fox News Sunday: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

• NBC, Meet The Press: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), Rev. Al Sharpton.

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Topics: Arne Duncan, Brain Schweitzer, David Axelrod, Hillary Clinton, Judd Gregg, Kent Conrad, Mitch McConnell, Newt Gingrich, Patrick Leahy, Pete Hoekstra, Sunday Shows

Health Care

GOP Girds Itself for "Minor Revolution" as Dems Prepare to Go It Alone on Health Care

Brian Beutler | September 1, 2009, 5:07PM

As Republicans walk away from bipartisan health care negotiations and Democrats prepare to pass reforms on their own, the GOP is sharpening its rhetorical swords ahead of a big legislative fight.

"I think that would wreck our health care system and wreck the Democratic Party if they did that," Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) told reporters during a Tuesday conference call. "[T]here would be a minor revolution in the country."

He's beginning to sound like Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK). Which is telling for a senator who's normally thought of as one of the GOP's less abrasive members. And though Alexander probably isn't the best source of information for what will or will not wreck the Democratic party, his dramatic words signal that the Republicans take the threat seriously.

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Topics: Budget Reconciliation, Health Care, Judd Gregg, Lamar Alexander, Senate

Health Care

51 Vote Rules May Force a Public Option Too Liberal for Some Dems

Brian Beutler | September 1, 2009, 12:15PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)

As Senate leaders begin work on a Democrat-only health care bill, they're finding themselves confronted with an unexpected irony: Though the caucus has reached an uneasy consensus around a public option that's modeled in many ways after a private insurer, it may be necessary to make the public option more liberal, and thus, more politically radioactive, if it's to overcome a number of unique procedural hurdles.

This is the needle Democrats may have to thread if they want a public option, and at the same time, want to bypass a Republican filibuster. And the key for them will be keeping conservative Democrats on board.

"A very robust public option that scores significant savings would presumably be easy to justify doing through reconciliation," says a Senate Democratic aide. "But it is still being studied whether other, more moderate versions of a public option could pass parliamentary muster."

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Topics: Budget Reconciliation, Harry Reid, Health Care, Judd Gregg, Public Option, Republicans, Senate

Health Care

Senate Dems: Turnabout's Fair Play on Reconciliation

Brian Beutler | August 24, 2009, 1:13PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Democratic party leaders have a message for Republicans, who are crying foul over the news that they may get shut out of the health care debate: turnabout's fair play.

In a memo that was drafted and circulated on background in April, Senate Democrats made the case that using a budget reconciliation bill to pass health care reforms is perfectly within their rights, given the Republicans' promiscuous use of the same tactic when they were in power. Excerpts of the memo were published by various news outlets back in the spring, but the memo doesn't appear to have been previously published in its entirety until now. And now, with Democrats ramping up the threat that they'll invoke the process in the fall, they're rehashing those same arguments.

"[S]hould Republicans choose not to cooperate [on health care reform], the inclusion of reconciliation instructions [in the budget] provides a backup option which could be used to prevent a filibuster and approve legislation by a majority vote," the memo reads. "[T]here is nothing unprecedented or unusual about the use of reconciliation."

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Topics: Budget Reconciliation, Democrats, Harry Reid, Health Care, Judd Gregg, Republicans, Senate

Sonia Sotomayor

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | August 6, 2009, 9:00AM

Sotomayor Set To Be Confirmed Today
The Senate is expected to vote today to confirm Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Her confirmation is essentially guaranteed, as no Democrats have come out against her, and eight Republicans are now set to vote in favor of the nomination as well.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet with members of the Senate Finance Committee at 11:30 a.m. ET. He will meet with Sec. of the Treasury Tim Geithner at 3:15 p.m. ET. He will meet at 4 p.m. ET with John Brennan, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. He will speak at a 6:40 p.m. ET fundraiser in Virginia for state Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee for governor this year, and then speak at a 7:10 p.m. ET rally for Deeds.

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Topics: Barack Obama, Judd Gregg, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court

Judd Gregg

An Accidental Moment Of Candor From Judd Gregg: With Franken Tied Up, 'We Can Do A Lot With 40 Votes'

Brian Beutler | May 12, 2009, 12:25PM

A Congressional Quarterly article about GOP efforts to get conservative Democrats to oppose major legislation contains an interesting admission from Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH).

Acording to the piece, Republicans "have vowed to block, reshape or defeat a number of Democratic initiatives in coming months, even though Specter's defection has left the Senate Republican caucus with just 40 members."

But in a 99-member Senate, 40 votes are enough to keep Democrats from cutting off debate on major legislation. "Usually you need 41 votes to get anything done around here. But right now, you can do a lot with 40 votes,'' said Judd Gregg

In a 99-seat Senate, 40 votes isn't nearly enough to "get anything done." Not at all. It is rather the bare minimum necessary to make sure nothing gets done. And it explains why so many Republican senators will routinely vote against cloture on major Democratic agenda items. It's called a filibuster--and it isn't typically thought of as way to "get stuff done."

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Topics: Budget, Filibuster, Judd Gregg, MN-SEN

Judd Gregg

Gregg: Democrats Trying To 'Roll The Minority' On Health Reform

Brian Beutler | April 28, 2009, 2:43PM

Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), ranking member on the Budget Committee, has an interesting position on the question of passing legislation through the budget reconciliation process. That is to say, he unequivocally opposes the procedure in all circumstances (unless those circumstances involve Republican agenda items like tax cuts). We've tracked his swings here pretty thoroughly, and noticed that he was at it again today on Fox News. Watch:

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Topics: Budget, Judd Gregg

Budget

Senate Names Budget Conferees--So What About Reconciliation?

Brian Beutler | April 24, 2009, 1:30PM

Just as a quick addendum to this post: The Senate agreed last night to send Sens. Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Judd Gregg (R-NH)--the chair and ranking member of the Budget Committee--and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) to the budget conference committee. There they will hash out all the differences between the Senate's budget and the House's.

So what does this mean for reconciliation? Recall that reconciliation is a process that allows Congress to circumvent a filibuster, and, potentially, an avenue for passing major reform with little room for obstruction or debate. It's a potentially huge deal and, at the very least, a tool that could provide Democrats tons of leverage in their pursuit of health reform through the standard legislative process. The House budget includes reconciliation "instructions", but the Senate bill does not, and the crucial question--will the final budget include reconciliation instructions?--will be settled in the conference committee.

Conrad and Gregg have made their opposition to the process known (though according to The Hill, "Conrad told reporters that he doesn't want to use reconciliation rules to pass healthcare reform but that he is feeling pressure to include the option in the budget resolution from House members and the Obama administration").

But what about Murray?

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Topics: Budget, Judd Gregg

Judd Gregg

Ryan: Democrats Won Election, Want To Obstruct Democracy

Brian Beutler | April 24, 2009, 11:43AM

Via ThinkProgress, I see Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) is taking a sanguine and, dare I say, democratic, view of the budget reconciliation process.

"It's their right. They did win the election," said Ryan, R-Wis. "That's what I tell all my constituents who are worried about this. They won the election. They did run on these ideas. They did run on nationalizing health care. So, you're right about that. They have the votes with reconciliation. They nailed down the process so that they can make sure they have the votes and that they can get this thing through really fast. It is their right. It is what they can do."

One can quibble with some of this rhetoric. Democrats won the election on a platform of universalizing health care through a combination of private and public insurance, and government subsidies. But this is certainly a more realistic assessment than that of, say, Ryan's Senate counterpart Judd Gregg (R-NH) who supports the reconciliation process when Republicans use it to pass tax cuts and ANWR drilling, but compares it to "running over the minority, putting them in cement and throwing them in the Chicago River," when the Democrats so much as propose it for health reform.

But has Ryan always been so fair? Let's go to the tape:

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Topics: Judd Gregg

Judd Gregg

Obama Gives Clean Energy R&D Filibuster Protection

Brian Beutler | March 23, 2009, 4:23PM

If you've been reading Elana's reporting, you know that many Republicans and some Democrats are opposing the Obama administration's mostly-implicit threat to put health care reform and cap and trade legislation into the budget resolution to immunize them from the filibuster.

Judd Gregg--the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee who came thiiis close to becoming Barack Obama's Commerce Secretary before deciding he'd rather block the president's agenda at almost every turn--compared the idea of passing the bills through the reconciliation process to "running over the minority, putting them in cement and throwing them in the Chicago River." (This, of course, despite his long record of supporting the controversial measures President Bush rammed through the budget.)

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Topics: Judd Gregg

Barack Obama

The Bizarre Burgeoning Legend of Judd Gregg

Elana Schor | February 13, 2009, 10:56AM

As patently mock-able as it is, this morning's Politico story on the GOP emboldening wrought by Sen. Judd Gregg's (R-NH) pullout from the Obama administration has a crazy kind of truth to it. Republicans are eagerly lionizing Gregg as a conservative hero whose conscience could not allow him to serve under a -- gasp! -- liberal president who believes that government spending can heal the economy.

Listen to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) on Fox this morning:

JORDAN: [Y]ou have Senator Gregg ... he understands that the stimulus package is going to do nothing to stimulate the economy. So I think it is kind of the final thing of a really bad week for the administration for Democrats.
REPORTER: You know, I'm not sure it was a bad week. They got an $800 billion stimulus plan pushed through. That's a pretty good week if you're a Democrat.

JORDAN: That's bad for the American people. That's what Senator Gregg understands.

And that's not even touching on control of the Census, which the GOP turned into a rallying cry to protect Gregg's power in the Obama administration -- before Gregg cited it as a major reason for his withdrawal. Suddenly the dry business of counting Americans, which helps determine congressional re-districting, has become a hot political debate for the GOP. Even our old buddy Hans von Spakovsky can't help but get in on the act.

Yesterday Matt likened Gregg to Sir Thomas More, but I'm thinking he might be congressional Republicans' William Wallace. "Tell our enemies that they can take our majority, but they'll never take ... THE CENSUS!!!"

Late Update: And the lionizing continues. Gregg's party is now imploring him to reconsider his decision not to seek re-election next year.

What's next, www.juddgreggisyournewbicycle.com?