Time and attention…the different bedside approaches to governing.
This piece was originally written as a critique of the Republican handling of healthcare reform efforts. In general, however, it is a look at how the Republicans have decided to govern with their unified control of the government. While the healthcare debate is a little belated, the Republicans approached their wealthcare support tax bill using the same budget reconciliation tactic. As with their healthcare efforts, one only need compare what Republicans did to gether their corporate wellfare tax cuts compared to the last time tax policy was addressed in a significant manner by Ronald Reagan and the Democrat controlled Congress in the 1980s. We (all of us, D's and R's) have to start electing people that start from the position of wanting to build consensus, not maximize one or two vote majorities to force extremely partisan and overwhelmingly unpopular (healthcare: <25%; weathcare: <30%) policies.
The next time a Republican tries to draw a comparison between how Obamacare was passed versus the third world banana republic process we are experiencing now, look at this brief timeline*, and remind them of the difference between how Democrats govern when they have unified government vs. how the Republicans do things. The portions I have highlighted in red are examples of the Democrats inviting Republican participation even though they controlled both the House and Senate.
February 24, 2009 — In a joint session to Congress, President Obama says: “So let there be no doubt: Health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.”
March 5, 2009 — The Obama White House holds its first health care summit.
April 21, 2009 — Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley hold the first of three roundtables of health policy and industry experts to discuss the development of health care legislation.
July 15, 2009 — The Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee passes The Affordable Health Choices Act. The bipartisan bill includes more than 160 Republican amendments accepted during the month-long mark-up, one of the longest in congressional history.
August 15, 2009 — During the August recess, Obama travels in support of the bill. Tea Party members and conservatives lash out against the bill at town halls. Obama battles a false rumor that the legislation includes “death panels” that could decide whether people live or die.
September 29, 2009 — The Senate Finance Committee rejects two amendments to include a government-run public health insurance option in the sole compromise health care bill to date.
November 7, 2009 — The House of Representatives passes a version of the sweeping health care bill by a vote of 220-215.
December 24, 2009 — The Senate passes its health care bill 60-39.
February 25, 2010 — Obama holds a televised heath care summit with leaders from both parties to explain the health care bill.
March 21, 2010 — The Senate passes its version of the bill, sending the legislation to Obama for his signature. A separate package of changes expanding the reach of the measure also passed the House over unanimous GOP opposition, and will be taken up by the Senate.
March 23, 2010 — Obama signs the health care bill into law.
Obamacare was the result of an open process that played out over an entire year. So it is obvious…Democrats can be trusted to craft significant legislation in the open with input from all the players that might be impacted. Republican’s assign 8-12 of their white male leadership to draft their bill secretly behind closed doors flanked by armed fucking guards! They won’t let anyone see the bill. McConnell has said he will be releasing the bill at the same time that they submit it to the CBO and that the vote will be scheduled within hours of the bill being revealed. Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan can go fuck themselves. People talk about liberal tyranny…we all know who the tyrannical party is.
*Courtesy of CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/28/politics/supreme-court-health-timeline/index.html