The final House vote on health care legislation – or what will be the closest thing to a final vote – is apparently set for Sunday afternoon. What will happen? Will a favorable CBO score push Democrats over the finish line? Will pro-life Democrats kill the bill? We ask John Gizzi of Human Events and get his thoughts on the souring U.S. relations with Israel.
In testimony this week, Gen. David Petraeus discussed the growing bond between Iran and Al Qaeda. How significant is this? Why are radical Shia and Sunni forces working together? How much urgency does this bring to the Iranian nuclear question? How close are the Iranians to having nukes? And what is really the best way to stop them? We ask retired U.S. Navy Capt. Chuck Nash.
Democrats pick up another vote for health care legislation as Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich announces his support for the bill despite having nothing good to say about it. GOP says many Democrats remain on the fence because leaders can’t get a good CBO score. Conservatives also say Pelosi’s greatest fear is members going home for Easter break and facing the wrath of voters before the vote.
Louisiana Rep. John Fleming says Democrats keep pushing back the health care vote because they can’t get a favorable score from the Congressional Budget Office. Fleming, who is also a doctor, explains why the health plan would devastate his business and many more. He also discusses the impact of Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich flip-flopping on his vote after being pressured by President Obama. And Fleming highlights his plan to force all members of Congress to be subjected to the new health care laws if the plan is approved.
Americans United for Life are taking out full-page ads in the hometown newspapers of pro-life Democrats. What is the message for the lawmakers and their constituents? What is the truth about the abortion language in the bill? Will her organization refuse to label any member who votes ‘yes’ as pro-life? And what happened to bipartisan efforts to make sure taxpayer-funded abortions are not part of the Senate bill?
President Obama and other Democrats have claimed that their version of health care reform is a critical part of the overall job creation effort. But what impact would this bill really have on our nation’s employment? Which sectors would see the greatest impact? And how do the authors of the study explain left-leaning projections showing major job growth? We discuss it all with Ryan Ellis, director of tax policy at Americans for Tax Reform.
Republicans protest as Democrats try to pass Obamacare without actually voting on it – a clear sign the votes aren’t there for an up or down vote. Dems defend the rule saying it’s been used many times by Republican majorities. New Jersey tea partiers get the green light to continue effort to recall Sen. Bob Menendez and the Lockerbie bomber (who was supposed to be dead four months ago) may live another five years.
A final vote (if there is a vote) may not happen for days or even weeks, but Democrats are about to set the stage for an extremely controversial showdown. The Budget Committee has approved reconciliation language for the package to fix the flawed Senate bill. What happened in that hearing and what does it tell us about the next stages in this debate? We ask Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, a member of the Budget Committee. He discusses what would happen on abortion, the public option and whether avoiding a direct vote would protect and members of Congress from the potential wrath of voters.
Clifford May of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies discusses the strained relations between Israel and the Obama administration. Are new settlements the heart of the issue or just a symptom of a bigger problem? What is the truth on the new settlements? What might be a bigger issue? How does the Iranian nuclear threat factor into all of this? And is there any reason to think peace progress is possible?
As Democrats struggle to pass health care legislation and consider extraordinary measures to push the bill over the finish line, Republicans can do very little to impact the outcome. But the American people can. So says South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson. He says public opposition stopped passage of the bill for months and massive public opposition is the key to killing the bill once and for all.
