How Many Democrats Will Join The Republicans In A Symbolic Attempt To Repeal Health Care Reform?

Officially, McIntyre is still a Democrat of sorts.

A few days ago we posed the simple question about how many Democrats would cross into darkness and vote to repeal healthcare reform. Again, when the Affordable Health Care for America Act first passed 220-215 on November 7, 2009, there were 39 Democrats who joined all but one Republican in opposing it. Almost all of those conservative Democrats were swept out of office in November. This time Boehner won't be able to count on anti-family whores like John Adler (NJ), Allen Boyd (FL), Bobby Bright (AL), Travis Childers (MS), Susanne Kosmas (FL), Frank Kratovil (MD), Jim Marshall (GA), Mike McMahon (NY), Charlie Melancon (LA), Walt Minnick (ID), Glenn Nye (VA), etc. The only conservative anti-healthcare slimeballs who managed to escape voters' wrath were Jason Altmire (Blue Dog-PA), Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK), John Barrow (Blue Dog-GA), Ben Chandler (Blue Dog-KY),Tim Holden (Blue Dog-PA), Larry Kissell (unofficial Blue Dog-NC), Dan Lipinski (unofficial Blue Dog-IL), Stephen Lynch (MA), Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT), Mike McIntyre (Blue Dog-NC), Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN), Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR) and Heath Shuler (Blue Dog-NC).

So far McIntyre and Boren, inveterate aisle-crossers when they have a chance to screw working families, have announced they're standing with Boehner and Cantor on this one again. Altmire, Kissell, Lipinski, Lynch, Matheson, Peterson and Shuler have already stated that they won't vote to repeal the law. Wednesday Altmire said that Republicans just "want to make a political statement by saying, ‘We repealed the entire health-care bill'. I’m not going to participate in any kind of game like that.”

Altmire said that some of the most “widely popular” parts of reform are the protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions, limitations on the costs of preventive care for Medicare beneficiaries and the closing of the so-called “doughnut hole” for those on the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.

A sweeping repeal would kill all those provisions and hurt constituents in his district, Altmire said. “There’s no reason why (Republicans) have to structure the repeal this way,” he said.

...But Altmire did hold out hope that Republicans seeking support from moderate Democrats like him would be willing to amend the repeal bill to target specific problem areas instead of the entire reform law.

Altmire said he was surprised that Republicans, many of whom owe their election victories to the pro-repeal tea-party movement, would choose to eliminate reform provisions that benefit millions of Americans as their first order of business in the new Congress.

“It’s the wrong move,” he said.

Heath Shuler took a similar stand when declining to vote with the Republicans on this. “There are some very good things in this bill that have already become law: Parents can keep their kids on their insurance till they’re 26, it’s helping to close the donut hole for seniors, and children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied access to coverage. I think it is not just wrong, but immoral to take those things away." The vote will come next week, although it's a foregone conclusion that it will pass and that not a single Republican will break ranks with Boehner and Cantor to vote in the interests of their own constituents.

Yesterday Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Susan Davis (D-CA) and Niki Tsongas (D-MA) introduced an amendment to the Republicans’ health care repeal legislation which would specifically bar discrimination against women in health care markets if the repeal does succeed in unraveling the many safeguards provided by that law. “Repeal of the Affordable Care Act would be disastrous for the American people and for our economy,” said Nadler. “Should such a repeal move forward, however, it is essential that we put into place key protections to ensure that Americans don’t suffer arbitrary consequences as a result. One key protection is to end the rote discrimination against women that occurred in the pre-Affordable Care Act insurance market. This amendment would do just that.” It's hard to imagine the Republicans will allow an open vote on this type of amendment, exposing them as primitive misogynists at a point when so many of them expect to face tough election challenges in 2012.

The actual vote on repealing health care reform comes Wednesday but the Democrats who voted for the procedural rule adoption... 3 anti-family Blue Dogs (Boren, McIntyre, Ross) plus the increasingly pathetic de facto Blue Dog Larry Kissell, a very strong contender for special attention from Blue America next year. the Resolution that voted for reads: "Providing for consideration of H.R. 2, to repeal the job-killing health care law and health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010; and providing for consideration of H.Res. 9, instructing certain committees to report legislation replacing the job-killing health care law." It passed 236-181, every other Democrat voting NO.

In November Blue America helped defeat the very worst Democrat in the House, Bobby Bright (AL), who voted with the Republicans more than any other Democrat, and far more than with his own party. Our TV and radio ads against him were very effective. We'll be eager to see which Blue Dog is looking for some primary action next year. Our BadDogs page is open for business.