"Here I stand. I can do no other".
Atrributed to Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms when asked by Emperor Charles V to recant.
Silence is betrayal.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I think we're going to see more instances of Congressional Democrats breaking with a more conservative White House. Here it is the right of Americans to sue to enforce their right under the law to medicaid when states break federal laws by making it impossible to obtain treatment. Next, it will be opposition to the adminstration's job-killing trade deals. And hopefully to the next "compromise" that is all spending cuts.
In an unusual break with the White House, the Democratic leaders of Congress told the Supreme Court on Monday that President Obama was pursuing a misguided interpretation of federal Medicaid law that made it more difficult for low-income people to obtain health care.
The Democratic leaders said Medicaid beneficiaries must be allowed to file suit to enforce their right to care — and to challenge Medicaid cuts being made by states around the country.
The Obama administration maintains that beneficiaries and health care providers cannot sue state officials to challenge cuts in Medicaid payment rates, even if such cuts compromise access to care for the poor.
Democrats Challenging Administration on Medicaid
In a friend-of-the-court brief, the lawmakers said the administration’s position “would undermine the effectiveness of Medicaid.” In addition, they said, it conflicts with more than a century of court precedents that allow people to sue to block state actions that are inconsistent with federal law.
Democrats Challenging Administration on Medicaid
The brief to the supreme court is signed by Henry Waxman, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Max Baucus, and others.
The austerity road leads to much pain for working Americans while deepening the Great Class Stratification. It's immoral and I will fight it and those who make war on working people.
"Here I stand. I can do no other".