By FITSNews || The S.C. Republican Party is bashing Democratic Rep. John Spratt for being the lead sponsor of a House bill that would “reconcile” two versions of President Barack Obama’s socialized medicine proposal – a critical step in Obama’s last-ditch effort to pass his plan through Congress this month.
The House passed “Obamacare” last November by a narrow 220-215 vote, with Spratt voting in favor of the legislation. On Christmas Eve, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the legislation.
Now, Spratt is the lead sponsor of a bill that seeks to bring the two pieces of legislation together using a process known as “reconciliation.” Typically reserved for budget debates, “reconciliation” is a procedural method of shutting down filibusters. The House already has rules of debate in place that prevent filibusters, but in the Senate – the so-called “deliberative body” – it takes a “super-majority” of sixty votes to block one.
This, of course, is what spawned the so-called “Cornhusker kickback” to Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson last December. Absent that bribe, Democrats wouldn’t have had the votes to proceed on the bill.
Obviously, the “filibuster math” in the U.S. Senate changed dramatically when Scott Brown pulled off his epic upset in Massachusetts in January. Republicans now have 41 votes, meaning they can successfully block legislation – unless Democrats can pull off this procedural “coup,” which started Monday in Spratt’s Budget Committee with the filing of a “reconciliation resolution.”
Smelling blood in the water, Republicans pounced.
“John Spratt knows that people in South Carolina don’t want a government-driven approach to healthcare, so he’s doing the same thing as a lot of Democrats – hoping voters have short memories,” SCGOP Executive Director Joel Sawyer said. “By working to move this bill forward, John Spratt is doing the opposite of what his constituents want – but then again, maybe he’s been in Washington so long that he thinks Nancy Pelosi and President Obama are the people he answers to, rather than the folks in his Congressional District.”
Indeed, last week Spratt said that Obama had “done a magnificent job” on the health care issue.
Spratt is facing a tough challenge this year from Republican State Senator Mick Mulvaney, a fiscal conservative who has managed to parlay voter angst with Spratt’s positions on socialized medicine and other issues into a very competitive campaign against the fourteen-term incumbent.
By james March 15, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Probably 50 per cent of south carolinians are on socialized medicine–20 per cent medicare, 10 to 15 per cent medicaid, 10 to 15 per cent va benefits or tricare. add state local and federal employees to the mix and the taxpayers are already funding about 50 per cent of our population. the train already left the station folks.
By countryboy March 15, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Spratt and the rest of the Democrats are rushing the Obamacare bill because they think most voters have short memories and it won’t be a major factor in almost 8 months – and maybe they are right.
By Mike at the beach March 15, 2010 at 6:32 pm
The whole “Socialized medicine” thing is wearing a little thin, although at least when conservatives use it to describe BHO’s plan it’s pretty accurate. Lumping anyone on a health care plan into the “Socialized med” camp is a stretch, though. VA benefits? Those are earned by vets and their families, and are a big part of the recruiting (and especially retention) picture. Gov’t employee plans are simply employer-provided plans, despite the fact the employees work for the gov’t. As originally designed, Medicare and Medicaid were safety nets but I’ll give you that they have been edging toward Socialism ever since (much like Social Security).
By thirdworldrathole March 15, 2010 at 7:54 pm
I’ve tried calling Spratt’s office twice–his phones apparently aren’t working. Additionally, his e-mail has also been de-activated as of Friday.
I guess being a Democrat these days means you don’t have to listen to your constituents.
By Lancaster Liberal March 15, 2010 at 8:21 pm
I’m quite proud of Mr. Spratt for taking a position that he feels is in the long term interest of the nation even though he knows it will cost him votes and popularity. That is what statemen do. As for getting in touch with the Congressman, never had a problem. His staff have always been pleasant, courteous and helpful.
By fastmouth March 15, 2010 at 9:02 pm
As far as the notion of the federal, state, and local government employees being part of “socialized” medicine, I’m damn glad that my wife is a school teacher and is able to help provide insurance. If she was not a state employee, I seriously doubt we could insurance. She works hard for her money and to help provide for us. I’m self-employed and work hard to provide for our family. However, thank God for the State Insurance plan.
The only way that the state will attract and retain good employees is to provide a good benefits plan. Whether or not a person calls the state plan a part of “socialized medicine”, is their opinion, but I do believe we as a state have to provide benefits and competitive salaries for our employees and like it or not, it’s got to come ultimately from the taxpayers.
By lance March 16, 2010 at 12:08 am
Lancaster Lib–
Medicaid is broke.
Medicare is broke.
Social Security is broke.
The Postal Service is broke.
Amtrack is broke.
And you are proud that Spratt is handing over your health and your posterity’s healthcare to a corrupt government incapable of even delivering mail—much less capable of making complex life-and-death decisions regarding your health?
By The Colonel March 16, 2010 at 8:55 am
Why is this beginning to look more and more like Congressman Spratt’s “swan song”? Spratt has to know that this issue will kill him with “blue dogs” (which abound in his district) and the more conservative folks who are moving that way to escape Charlotte.
By Lancaster Liberal March 16, 2010 at 9:34 am
Lance,
First, I do not agree with your contention that federaly administered social programs are broke though they do need to be modified to meet modern day demographic requirements. As for Amtrak and the Postal Service, Amtrak has been underfunded for years, something we need to change. We should at least seriously consider subsidizing Amtrak to the same extent as Interstate Highways and Airports. Also, it seems to me that every letter and package I mail gets to where I want it to go and that I recieve mail everyday all at a reasonable cost.
Finally, I am much more comfortable with a government run health care system than I am with a free market one where my health care decisions are second guessed by a corporate bureaucrat more concerned with quarterly return on investment than my health care needs.
I suppose we have different perspectives.
By Old Man Golfer March 16, 2010 at 10:09 am
Just called his office…they said he was “undecided.” The local paper doesn’t have the nerve to ask him how he will vote, but he’s telling everyone that it is “too close to call.”
Of course, he was on TV last night pushing it. In the DC media today he is “leading the charge” on healthcare. He is the sponsor of the bill now that it is in budget reconciliation.
John, you know you are going to vote for it. We know you are going to vote for it. So why lie to us?
That is the last straw.
By roofus March 16, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Lance,
The US Postal Service delivered my CONFIDENTIAL W2 tax form to my neighbor about a month ago.
I can’t even trust the US Postal service with my W2 form—how can I trust the government with my health?