By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri chairs something called the "House GOP Health Care Solutions Group."
Today, he's in the crosshairs for declaring that the, uh, solutions group wasn't planning on putting forth any solutions. In the form of a bill, that is.
"Our bill is never going to get to the floor, so why confuse the focus?" Blunt said yesterday. "We clearly have principles; we could have language, but why start diverting attention from this really bad piece of work (the Democrats have) got to whatever we’re offering right now?"
So the "solution" is purely political. Fire away at the Democrats' plan and offer nothing of your own.
By this morning, team Blunt had put out a clarification.
“Our reform plan to lower costs, increase access, and improve quality was released weeks ago and it is well-known.," Blunt's office said in a statement, posted on The Plum Line blog.
Also from Blunt: "There’s a variety of tactics that could be employed during the debate on the House floor and the leadership won’t make a final decision next week until the Democrats announce how they will proceed.”
When it comes to health care and other matters, Blunt and other GOP House members are quick to assert that the emperor has no clothes. But they're laughably chicken about suggesting what the emperor should put on.
The Health Care Solutions Group last month did release a list of principles for health care reform.
But it contains no cost estimates and no real estimates of how many people would gain insurance through the plan.
Look, if Republican ideas for health care are any good, put them into a bill, release cost estimates, and let them be subjected to the same analysis as the Democratic proposals.
I suspect Blunt and the GOP don't want to do that, because they know, in their heart of hearts, that their wardrobe is the most threadbare of all.
It looks increasingly like the House GOP health care plan is the status quo. If that's the case, Blunt and company should say so.
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Health reform needed by everyone?
If you don't see eye-to-eye with the president on abortion or something because of your faith, that's one thing. But healthcare reform is for everyone. It's badly needed. It benefits everyone. Except, of course, the shady health and insurance establishment which has been getting too rich off the American people for too long, and which it's more and more obvious they have bought our representatives like poor Roy.
There is nothing to debate. Reform healthcare now.
How so? More than 80% of Americans say they are satisfied with their healthcare. Given that, how can the Dems justify such a radical and risky scheme to takeover the healthcare in this country?
Contrary to Barb's claim, Blunt has offered one great proposal. He wants the president and Congress to pledge that they will subject themselves to any healthcare plan they approve. Oddly, the Dems won't make that pledge, which suggests they know have bad the plan will be.
Ridiculous
Roy Blunt is completely ridiculous and doesn't stand a chance of anyone ever voting for him again.
If you don't see eye-to-eye with the president on abortion or something because of your faith, that's one thing. But healthcare reform is for everyone. It's badly needed. It benefits everyone. Except, of course, the shady health and insurance establishment which has been getting too rich off the American people for too long, and which it's more and more obvious they have bought our representatives like poor Roy.
There is nothing to debate. Reform healthcare now.
Roy and the GOP....
are empty suits. No ideas, no proposals, no credibility. Just bitchin.
Here's next years democratic campaign. "and what has the GOP done for you lately? Did they try to save your job? Extend your unemployment? Healthcare for your family? Forestall your foreclorure? Save your 401K? No? They just sat on their thimbs (or was it their principles?) and whined. Fiddled while America burned. Now there's a party with something to offer!
Of course
How about we come up with a healthcare plan in which roughly 80% off Americans will be happy with their plans.
We're happy until we're denied service, and those who can't afford service aren't happy -- and they drive up costs for the rest of us by straining emergency and catastrophic care.
If anyone's happy with the status quo, it seems to be the for-profit insurance industry.
You're ignoring the polls and the rest of my comment.
are we happy?
How about we come up with a healthcare plan in which roughly 80% off Americans will be happy with their plans.
We're happy until we're denied service, and those who can't afford service aren't happy -- and they drive up costs for the rest of us by straining emergency and catastrophic care.
If anyone's happy with the status quo, it seems to be the for-profit insurance industry.
Snipe and sit
How about we come up with a healthcare plan in which roughly 80% off Americans will be happy with their plans. That would be the current system. We could work on improving the situation for the remaining 20% instead of pushing through this socialized medicine scheme that Congress and Obama will exempt themselves from.