Win Healthcare Fight With Elections, Not Threats and Violence - By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is warning his Democratic colleagues that their vote in favor of healthcare reform might make them targets of violent protest when they go home for the Easter break. Calling on the Republicans to denounce violence as a means of protest against the bill, Hoyer told reporters, “I would hope that we would join together jointly and make it very clear that none of us condone this kind of activity.” According to Politico, the FBI, the Capitol Police, and the Office of the House Sergeant at Arms have all briefed members about violent incidents that have already occurred, including bricks that were thrown through the windows of the district office of New York Democrat Louise Slaughter and several of members who backed the Obamacare bill that is now law.
Hoyer and Boehner are exactly right. The way to win the fight is to win elections, not to throw rocks through windows. Health reform's journey isn't over quite yet. G.O.P. Forces New House Vote on Fixes to Health Bill - NYTimes.c. House to take up corrected reconciliation bill tonight - washing. Congress agreed Thursday to amend the nation's new health-care law, concluding its long and contentious quest to pass major reforms, and prepared to head home for a two-week recess and to hear from skeptical voters about the legislation. Lawmakers are leaving Washington on a rancorous note. Members of both parties seethed over the political response to threats of violence against a number of House Democrats, and senators belittled one another during amendment votes that lasted nearly 21 straight hours.
The last legislative hurdle to clear before recess was a reconciliation bill that contained a number of "fixes" to the health-care law, as well as an overhaul of the student loan program and expansion of Pell Grants. The measure was designed to proceed through Congress along a fast track, but it bogged down nevertheless. Both parties think they are emerging from the health-care debate in the stronger political position, going into midterm elections. Rep. In Pennsylvania, Sen. Healthcare bill headed back to the House after marathon Senate p. Senate Democrats defeated 29 straight Republican amendments to the Democratic healthcare reconciliation bill before losing a key parliamentary ruling in Thursday’s early hours that will force the legislation back to the House of Representatives. Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin sustained two GOP objections to two minor sections of a Pell Grant provision in the student loan part of the bill intended to change the original healthcare reform bill passed by both chambers.
The Senate held 10 hours of continuous, marathon voting starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday, with Republicans trying throughout to lodge a successful objection to the bill to force its return to the lower chamber. The bill’s passage by the House is a safe bet, prompting Senate GOP Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.) to call Frumin’s ruling “a consolation prize.” Democrats said Frumin’s ruling was expected and that any verdict of a Republican victory was an exaggeration.
“I don’t think anything happened that wasn’t predictable,” said Sen. Sen. Key Part of Health Law to Be Clarified. Monty Python And The Holy Grail- The Black Knight. Lawmakers concerned as health-care overhaul foes resort to viole. The pitched battle over health care has unleashed a rash of vandalism and attacks directed at politicians, with at least 10 House Democrats reporting death threats or incidents of harassment or vandalism at their district offices over the past week. More than 100 House Democrats met behind closed doors Wednesday afternoon with representatives of the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police. The lawmakers voiced what one senior aide who was present described as "serious concern" about their security in Washington and in their home districts when they return this weekend for the spring recess.
Usually only the congressional leadership has regular personal protection from the Capitol Police. But at least 10 lawmakers have been offered increased protection by law enforcement agencies, said House Majority Leader Steny H. Asked whether members are endangered, Hoyer said: "Yes. Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer e-mailed senators and staffers Wednesday telling them to "remain vigilant.
" Police Concerned About Parliamentarian’s Safety - Roll Call. By John Stanton Roll Call Staff March 25, 2010, 12:09 a.m. Tea party protesters are reportedly planning a protest at the home of Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin later this week, prompting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer to work with local law enforcement officials to ensure Frumin’s safety. Gainer said Wednesday night that while neither Frumin nor his family have been threatened, activists have discussed protesting at his house. “We are aware there was an Internet posting about picketing his house over the weekend,” Gainer said.
As an unelected official, Frumin has largely worked in obscurity — until the past several weeks as the health care fight has loomed increasingly larger on the political landscape. He is essentially the Senate’s referee, ruling on procedural matters. The heightened political stakes surrounding the GOP’s plans to use the Senate’s rules to try and derail the health care reconciliation bill has drawn increasing public scrutiny of Frumin. Byrd Rule To Send Health Care Back To House, Rules Parliamentari. Senate Republicans succeeded early Thursday morning in finding two flaws in the House-passed health care reconciliation package. Neither is of any substance, but the Senate parliamentarian informed Democratic leaders that both are in violation of the Byrd Rule.
One is related to Pell Grants and the other makes small technical corrections. Why they're in violation of the Byrd Rule doesn't matter; the upshot is that Republicans will succeed in at least slightly altering the legislation, which means that the House is once again required to vote on it. With no substantial changes, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) should have little problem assembling the same coalition of 220 Democrats who passed the measure Sunday night. But the ruling might give Democrats another option -- the public one.
Democratic leadership no longer has to worry that additional amendments would send it back to the House, since it must return to the lower chamber regardless. Would they have the votes? House Dems report vandalism, threats. By Matt Kelley and Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY WASHINGTON — The FBI is investigating acts of vandalism and a death threat aimed at Democrats who voted for the health care legislation. A freshman Democrat from Virginia reported that a gas line had been severed at his brother's home, and two congresswomen — one in New York and another in Arizona — said windows at their district offices were smashed. "A significant number, meaning more than 10" members received threats, said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, and officials from the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police talked with House Democrats Wednesday about how to protect themselves. Rep. House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio condemned such misconduct.
The FBI is "seeking to identify those responsible" for threats against members of Congress, spokeswoman Katherine Schweit said Wednesday. "Anybody who has information, we want them to contact us," Schweit said. Rep. Giffords' spokesman, C.J. Power Line - What Was That Line About the Tree of Liberty and th. Sympathy For Bart Stupak - Ross Douthat Blog.