Woo hoo! Health Care Reform has finally been accomplished. President Obama will sign in the next few days, and it will be the law of the land. Hallelujah! There is still the matter of getting the Senate to pass the Reconciliation bill, but the heaviest lifting is done. Huge thank-yous go out to Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, James Clyburn, Harry Reid, 218 House Democrats (even that rat-bastard Bart Stupak pulled out a little hero work tonight) and certainly our President.
Still, that 218 number, while more than adequate for the job, irks me. I like that the Democratic party has room for varying viewpoints. I like that the Democrats don't have the party discipline of the GOP. Really! (As difficult as that makes many things sometimes.) But. This legislation is the defining effort of this administration and of the party. If you cannot support the single largest push in your party's recent history; cannot be a part of this legacy: why are you a Democrat? Beyond party loyalty, Health Care Reform is a moral imperative. Those that chose to vote against it are on the wrong side of history (excuse the cliché.) I simply do not want those people in my party. Sorry.
Woo hoo! Health Care Reform has finally been accomplished. President Obama will sign in the next few days, and it will be the law of the land. Hallelujah! There is still the matter of getting the Senate to pass the Reconciliation bill, but the heaviest lifting is done. Huge thank-yous go out to Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, James Clyburn, Harry Reid, 218 House Democrats (even that rat-bastard Bart Stupak pulled out a little hero work tonight) and certainly our President.
Still, that 218 number, while more than adequate for the job, irks me. I like that the Democratic party has room for varying viewpoints. I like that the Democrats don't have the party discipline of the GOP. Really! (As difficult as that makes many things sometimes.) But. This legislation is the defining effort of this administration and of the party. If you cannot support the single largest push in your party's recent history; cannot be a part of this legacy: why are you a Democrat? Beyond party loyalty, Health Care Reform is a moral imperative. Those that chose to vote against it are on the wrong side of history (excuse the cliché.) I simply do not want those people in my party. Sorry.
Here's a complete list of the House Democrats that voted against the Health Care bill tonight. I have also included the percentage of uninsured constituents in their districts. Some are simply unconscionable. This is one vote where doing the right thing was worth it, even at the cost of their seat. They deserve to be primaried.
Worth noting is that a few of the culprits are not even running for reelection, such as Marion Berry in Arkansas. There is also Artur Davis in Alabama, who never gave up the Stupak cause. (While he is not running for reelection, he is running for Governor. Good luck with that!) I would also point out Stephen Lynch in Massachusetts. When looking at his district's uninsured number, keep in mind that it is so low because his state has universal health care. So his vote can sort of be interpreted as a big, fat "screw you" to the rest of the country that is not so fortunate. While many of these members are in tough reelection bids, many willfully parted company with their party for various reasons. It's very late tonight; but I will return & examine this in more depth tomorrow.
Rep Name | House District | % Uninsured |
Adler, John | NJ3 | 10.8% |
Altmire, Jason | PA4 | 8.6% |
Arcuri, Michael | NY24 | 12.3% |
Barrow, John | GA12 | 21.3% |
Berry, Marion | AR1 | 21.7% |
Boren, Dan | OK2 | 29.3% |
Boucher, Rick | VA9 | 16% |
Bright, Bobby | AL2 | 14.5% |
Chandler, Ben | KY6 | 15.5% |
Childers, Travis | MS1 | 18.5% |
Davis, Artur | AL7 | 18.6% |
Davis, Lincoln | TN4 | 17.4% |
Edwards, Chet | TX17 | 23.2% |
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie | SD | 13.5% |
Holden, Tim | PA17 | 10.4% |
Kissell, Larry | NC8 | 20.3% |
Kratovil, Frank | MD1 | 11.1% |
Lipinski, Dan | IL3 | 16.6% |
Lynch, Stephen | MA9 | 4.3% |
Marshall, Jim | GA8 | 21.5% |
Matheson, Jim | UT2 | 15.8% |
McIntyre, Mike | NC7 | 23.1% |
McMahon, Michael | NY13 | 10.9% |
Melancon, Charlie | LA3 | 18.1% |
Minnick, Walt | ID1 | 19.8% |
Nye, Glenn | VA2 | 12.4% |
Peterson, Collin | MN7 | 11.3% |
Ross, Mike | AR4 | 22.2% |
Shuler, Heath | NC11 | 21.3% |
Skelton, Issac | MO4 | 16.8% |
Space, Zack | OH18 | 17.9% |