Texas Rep. Ted Poe was also a judge for many years before coming to Washington. Why does he think the individual mandate fails to meet Constitutional standards? How would his legislation stop the mandate from being enforced? How confident is he that state challenges to the new law will be upheld?
On Sunday, many House Democrats cast votes that could come back to haunt them in November. One of those key races is in Florida’s 22nd Congressional district where Democrat Ron Klein is trying to keep his job. We talk with GOP challenger Allen West, who says this bill will badly hurt the many Medicare recipients in the district. He also says instead of punishing insurance companies, this plan will make them richer than ever. So how big will this issue be in the midterm campaign? How did Klein duck the issue inside the district? What will determine who wins in November?
Even as the Senate prepares for it’s latest role in the health care fight, Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe is also preparing for other major legislative battles. He says the momentum in the debate over so-called ‘climate change’ is now working against President Obama. He calls the cap and trade agenda the ‘greatest single tax increase in the history of America’ and slams senators of both parties for trying to bring back the same bill in new packaging. Inhofe also rips the proposed deal that would close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay while trying more terrorists before military commissions – saying he ‘can’t imagine anything worse’ than closing Gitmo.
Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute gives her closing arguments on why the House should reject the Senate health plan on Sunday. What would be the real cost to you and to the nation? How much power would the government really have over your health care? How would your medical experience change forever? What would happen to seniors living on Medicare? How quickly would we notice the effects of this plan?
The Capitol Steps recommend a few prescription drugs to help you cope with the latest twists and turns in the health care debate…actually they recommend all of them! Our guest is Steps star Elaina Newport.
The Senate side of Capitol Hill has been quiet this week – at least compared to the House. But if Democrats get the votes to pass the main bill, the so-called fixes head to the Senate for consideration. Those are the changes promised to House members for their votes on the main bill. So what kind of product would the Senate be dealing with? And just how big of a tax bill are Americans looking at? We ask Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, who also explains why killing earmarks would only give President Obama more power.
Texas Rep. Kevin Brady says the IRS is poised to hire more than 16,000 new agents if the Obama health plan is approved this weekend. Why? Because of all the new taxes you’ll be paying and all the new information you’ll have to give the government – including whether your health plan meets government standards. Brady also gives us a preview of his floor speech before Sunday’s vote and discusses the latest round of inside deals Democrats are making to secure enough votes for passage.
The Congressional Budget Office says the Democratic health plan will save $130 billion in the next decade if approved. Republicans say Democrats are forcing projections based on bogus premises. A new study shows we could see a massive doctor shortage if this passes.
New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett, a member of the House Budget Committee, discusses the new CBO estimate claiming the Democratic health plan will reduce deficits over the next 10 years. Garrett says accounting gimmicks are leading to very misleading numbers, and Democrats have no concern over huge deficits. Garrett also says the ‘deem and pass’ strategy is unconstitutional.
If the president gets his way on Democratic health care legislation, many of America’s doctors will close up shop. A new survey shows that 46 percent of practicing physicians will either quit or seriously consider it. Why? What new policies will make practicing medicine too costly and burdensome to continue? What will that mean for access to care with millions more looking for doctors? We ask Matt Patterson of the National Center for Public Policy Research. His latest report is entitled “Obamacare Would Drive Doctors Out of Business”.
