Today is the Energy and Commerce Committee mark-up of the Tri-Committee health care bill at 4PM EST. They’re the last House Committee standing on the hill when it comes to finally passing this out of committee and onto the House floor. The Blue Dog Democrats are the ones holding up progress on health care reform in that committee. We’ll see what Republican amendments they vote for to weaken the Tri-Committee house bill. That’s where you come in–we need you to join in with the liveblog, and start naming names of those who voted for which amendment and against.
If these Blue Dog Democrats vote for the Republican amendment to kill the public option and the other amendment to put a trigger on the public option, we’ll remember their names. Here’s why their votes are so crucial on that committee–there are 35 Democrats with the Blue Dogs making up about 7 members, and 23 Republicans. They could all join with the Republicans to vote down any progressive amendments and to vote in support of poison pill amendments. We need two Blue Dog Democrats that doesn’t vote with the rest of the pack, and that’s a crucial two votes to keep the House Tri-Committee bill intact.
We’re going to need you today more than ever. So, please participate in the liveblogging when the mark-up starts at 4PM est!
UPDATE: CALL the Energy and Commerce Committee and tell them to turn on their mics! We can’t hear them on the webcast! Had to change liveblog link over to C-Span. Let me know if it works.
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By the way: John Barrow wants your feedback on health care. Give it to him — ask him why he opposes HR 3200, which won’t add a dime to the deficit, will cover 97% of the uninsured, and which will provide a $6 billion surplus!
The committee hasn’t fully met yet. Looks like lobbyists and staffers are in the audience waiting for committee members to come out.
What generally happens in mark-up committee meetings and do you need commenters to document anything?
Neil:
We need you guys to note which amendments are being offered, what it might do, and the roll call vote on that amendment.
Neil,
once the proceedings get under way, Chairman Waxman will start in on the amendments – and they will be voted on one by one (hopefully)
helpful liveblogging would include:
name of the amendment
what it will do
vote tally
if friday is any indication, there will lots of unnecessary bs before each vote –
kewl 1 Page Summary on the Mark Up Process (it’s a pdf)
committee members are now filing in! cbl2–can you help liveblog? I’m deaf so I can’t hear everything.
but of course !
although it looks like their mic’s aren’t on yet
C’mon Henry, you unseated Dingle for this very day – you keep those mongrels in check
The sound is so choppy here, it’d be really hard to liveblog.
the problem is with the livesrteam
Chair’s opening remarks –
sounds like Ch Waxman read my #7 above
Subst. Amendment via Republicans
Diehl Amendment #201 – “Mandates on States #3″
restricts Health Choices Commissioner from overriding state officials on state employee plans – outta concern States could be charged the 8% for being out of compliance -
Waxman shoots back it is unnecessary – flexibility and time windows are available to States within language of Bill
Barton asks if in striking abortion coverage, could States be subject to non compliance consequences –
legal counsel says yep
jeebus, Barton already waving the States Rights flag
Changed over to C-span livestream
http://www.c-span.org/Watch/C-SPAN3_wm.aspx
Barton – I promise you all we are not all that stupid down here in Texas. However, I do understand where one could get that impression over the events of the last decade or so.
What’s Stupak saying?
Stupak (and now Polone) are saying Chair worked with the other side of aisle all week end on states right sensitive issues – ‘Both Stupak and Polone state there is plenty of leeway for this contained in the Bill language. both ‘praying Abortion doesn’t prompt all kinds of extra amendments.’
Gingrey – blah, blah, blah Abortion ! blah, blah, blah
which amendment is being voted on now?
amendment 201 i think
Wow, some of the Blue Dogs didn’t show up.
I’m glad they’re voting as they go instead of at the end. Where the hell is Tierney? Slacker.
HUH – that could mean several things … this maybe a very good thing. How many DEMS do we have in the room now?
Vote on Diehl Amendment – No’s have it on voice vote
Gooper calls for Roll Call
Roll Call tally (20 Y 35 N)
Patrick Murphy of PA votes with Republics
Did the amendment pass or not? Let me know.
Ok, Patrick Murphy. That’s a name to remember.
Sutton VII Amendment on deck
No. failed 35-20
what’s the Sutton amendment? I’m glad the Neal amendment failed.
SAMSA – Substance Abuse & Mental Health Admin. to be included under Prevention & Wellness portion of Bill – sets up a strategy and not necessarily funding
now some gooper is asking if this includes bike paths an lighting under “wellness”
no is the answer
Sutton Amendment 3_001 passes on voice vote
Gingrey Amendment 14A_001
per good ol boy his own self – would prevent any Fed Empl or Pol. Appointee from telling Doctors how to practice medicine under ‘Best Practices’ language in the Bill
correction: “under ‘Best Practices’ language contained in Center for Quality Improvement
and now is going on and on about protecting our precious vulnerable seniors from Fed hordes
ah say ah say ah say boyha ah say “…it’s gonna be like Noah’s ark” people getting thrown overboard “our precious seniors” b/c everyone knows the parable of Noah’s ark, god said, throw the geezers overboard. (not in my bible.)
Schiakowsky – “very very broad language” in this amendment – this amendment would prevent the Center from accomplishing it’s primary goal of establishing best practices
I hope that amendment’s struck down.
Doucette of CO points out it’s broadness could impact rates
good for her – she is right. How in the hell would HHS publish Best Practices tied to great outcomes.
it should go down on a party line vote with a few Blue Dog exceptions (2 or so)
hey doc,
is this Center for Quality Improvement something contained in the Bill or are they referring to a model from UK/Europe ??
Frank Pallone is great at closing argument for those opposing the Wingnut ideological-driven amendments by Gingrey and Barton, many more of which Barton has promised. It looks like D’s are allowing R’s to use all their time first, then responding. If so, good strategy.
Keep up the liveblogging!
Good to hear!
Shimkus – in UK, so called Center (NICE in UK) is all about “rationing!”
per open secrets – Shimkus has taken a combined $18.5k from “health professionals” and big pharma this cycle
From my understanding the ‘Center for Quality Improvement’ is an idea embedded in the HELP and Tri-Committee. I am not certain if the wording is exactly that but the idea is to have a national center with a database that medical professional can reference quickly to ensure that the best practices with measurable outcomes can be implemented much more quickly than the current 7-10 year delay.
I will look for the exact passage in the bills.
Rep Gene Green (D-TX) this is not a socialized medicine bill, no matter how many times you say it is. One good old boy to all the others.
It’s on C-Span 3 now, and is captioned.
Engel – “same language as original MediCare – medicare has never dictated to doctors” ‘you guys would have voted against Medicare’
kewwwwl.
p.s. believe committee member Ed Markey is a close captioning champion
Keep up the liveblogging! I’ll join in.
“shoving a 100,000,000 people off insurance !”, ‘rationing, rationing, rationing!’
Rogers is a complete ass. He’s not very bright either. Oooh, Gingrey joins in. I’m so glad I’m not Gingrey’s patient.
Mike Rodgers (R-MI) talks about how public option undermines private health insurance – easy business decision for employers offering health insurance coverage. Says public option will lead to rationing. Says more women will die of breast cancer.
Mike Rogers – MI-08
Top 5 contributors this cycle
Abbott Laboratories $8,000 $0 $8,000
National Assn of Convenience Stores $6,000 $0 $6,000
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals $5,000 $0 $5,000
McKesson Corp $5,000 $0 $5,000
Automotive Free International Trade PAC $5,000 $0 $5,000
crap? Dingell is playing into this?
reply to slinkerwink @ 53
I initially thought so too, but he is now lowering the ‘gotcha’ boom wrt to the sweeping scope of amendment language. merely underscoring (albeit in a long drawn out fashion) how broad amendment language is
asked Counsel does the language cover . . .
FDA ? yep
Nursing Home Inspectors ? yep
Labs ? yep
Bachman Lite, aka Blackburn ‘Bureaucrat! Rationing !’
Finally figured that out towards the end.
A lot of questions being asked so far. No amendments being offered yet.
Great rebuttal by Stupak on recission policies!
Stupak in response to claims millions will be forced off empl plans – 16 million americans a year are forced off their private insurance plans via recission – nice
slinkerwink -
based on your DC experience, could Chairman Waxman hold a tighter rein on all this ‘discussion’ or are his current allowances within the norm for marquee legist. like this ??
Bruce Braley, D-IA-01, up, talking about comparative effectiveness research WRT treating breast cancer (ah, he’s former president of the Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, which is why he knows so much about this)
Oh, God Almighty. Ralph Hall is doing the ol’ shuck ‘n’ jive. This is a former president of Texas Aluminum Corporation — he may be old, but this “I jest fell awf th’ turnip truck” bilge is irritating.
Who’s this guy talking with the glasses?
Counsel to the committee.
per PW above @ 62 – Ralph Hall
Steve Buyer (R-IN-04) continuing Hall’s “Obama’s gonna tell Dr. Coburn haow tuh do hiz job!” schtick.
“Are we ready for the vote?”
Steve Scalise (R-LA) — EEEEEK! Single-payer! Stalking horse! Rationing! Eeeek!
Chair is saying ‘ready for the vote’ but yields a few more minutes to Scalise/LA – you guessed it “rationing!”
Waxman: “You think we don’t have rationing in this country?!”
Scalise: “You’re actually taxing people!”
Scalise: “Federal bureaucrats! Lookit mah chart!”
Gingrey: “Mah state’s med. assn, like LA’s opposes this bill! We doan’ care that the AMA backs it!”
Gingrey: Fed. Gov’t = Boss Hogg!
Waxman: Asking Gingrey if Medicare is dictating how doctors practice medicine. Gingrey is flailing. And stuttering. He can’t invent a smooth lie fast enough and Waxman is nailing him.
Voice vote: Gingrey amdnt failed. 24 y, 33 n. Party line vote, with John Barrow and Pat Murphy (I think) being the sole exceptions (they voted ‘aye’).
Gingrey 14A_001 –
he claims it’s in response to Section 931 of Bill – amendment says No Fed Empl or Political Appointee can dictate to doctors on patient care – practice, not funding
proceeding to vote
No’s have it
call for a Roll Call vote
tally ( 24 Y 33 N)
Blew Dog John Barrow voted Yes
and Patrick Murphy voted with the Republics again
recess for floor vote
Debate all night you Republican obstructionists. It’ll still be done by Wednesday.
Recess. Waxman told the Republicans whining about how loooong this was taking that if they didn’t keep tossing so many garbage amendments at it, it would go a lot quicker (and this will continue well into the night, probably into the wee hours).
Switch to Pres. Obama at Children’s National Medical Center.
Looks like they recessed for dinner, but will be back. Keep using this thread to liveblog when they get back!
if you missed it earlier, the good Chairman told them dinner was to be catered
we are headed out for a bite – be back in about 90 min. can someone keep an eye on this in case they actually get under way again before that ?
Cool – I thought we could knock it down but we would lose 2 or so Dems.
Switch to Michael Steele GOPer
oooh is this where he doesn’t know what “individual requirement” is ? lol
Will do. I’ll keep an eye on this.
I think we’re back in session. Barton speaking.
SECOND Liveblog thread up! Go over there and comment!
http://campaignsilo.firedoglak…..e-mark-up/
Pallone Amendment (re-organizes amendments)
The amendment en blocke is adopted.
Unanimous consent to remove an amendment because it is already in another amendment. Another unanimous consent request by Matheson to have that amendment included in the en block amendment.
—————-
Barton 007 transparency amendment was withdrawn until later