Washington, DC - Today, Representative Mike Ross (D-AR), Chairman of the Blue Dog Health Care Task Force, issued the following statement after the introduction of health care reform legislation in the House.
"The skyrocketing cost of health care is not only bankrupting American families and businesses; it is leading this country down a path to fiscal disaster. We can never balance the federal budget again without reforming the system to hold the growth of health care costs to the rate of inflation.
"The Blue Dogs are committed to passing health care reform. However, reform that does not meet the President's goals of substantially bringing down costs is not an option.
"Over the past several months, Blue Dogs have put forth substantive policy proposals aimed at achieving this objective, and we look forward to working through the legislative process to incorporate these cost cutting measures."
The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 with the goal of representing the center of the House of Representatives and appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States. Currently there are 52 members of the Blue Dog Coalition. For more information, visit the Blue Dog Website at http://www.house.gov/melancon/BlueDogs/.
Read the Blue Dog letter on responsible health care reform...
July 9, 2009
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer:
As members of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition, we write today to express our strong reservations about the process and direction of the draft tri-committee health care reform proposal. We share President Obama’s deep commitment to passing comprehensive, deficit-neutral health care reform that lowers costs for American families and businesses, increases the quality of care provided, and expands access for every American. We also believe that the process by which we get there is critically important if we hope to develop responsible health care reform legislation that accomplishes all of these goals.
After reviewing the draft tri-committee health care reform proposal, we believe it lacks a number of elements essential to preserving what works and fixing what is broken. Following are our initial thoughts, and we hope to see a draft at some point that substantially addresses each key item:
For More -- http://www.house.gov/melancon/BlueDogs/Letter%20on%20HCR.html
Blue Dog Members
Altmire, Jason (PA-04)
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Barrow, John (GA-12)
Berry, Marion (AR-01)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
Boren, Dan (OK-02)
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Boyd, Allen (FL-02)
Bright, Bobby (AL-02)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Chandler, Ben (KY-06)
Childers, Travis (MS-01)
Cooper, Jim (TN-05)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28)
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03)
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Gordon, Bart (TN-06)
Griffith, Parker (AL-05)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD)
Hill, Baron (IN-09)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Marshall, Jim (GA-03)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Ross, Mike (AR-04)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06)
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6 comments:
Sounds like we have some folks in there who believe in staying true to the facts; not voting on ideaology and party loyalty. Finally!
They can all talk a good game but watch how they vote, that is what counts. Don't forget Kratovil has voted with Pelosi 90% of the time. Not a good track record in my opinion.
Kratovil is not a blue dog, he is a Nancy Pelosi lap dog.
it's his job to vote with his party. i'm not for it either, but that's a fact. being a "junior" rep is tough, no matter the party.
You are kidding me. 'They can all talk a good game but watch how they vote, that is what counts. Don't forget Kratovil has voted with Pelosi 90% of the time. Not a good track record in my opinion." and "Kratovil is not a blue dog, he is a Nancy Pelosi lap dog." Enough already. Kratovil is a DEM. He votes as a blue dog. He did not vote with Pelosi ALL THE TIME, just when he agrees with her. He voted against congressional pay raises, he is concerned about escalating health costs and wants more a more economically sustainable solution. He voted for cap and trade, but guess what - State of Maryland already has cap and trade. Happened two years ago. Now other states will have the same, similar, standards as Maryland. Open your minds and quit echoing club for growth with this "extremely liberal" B S. Quite honestly I have heard enough. Harris would only stomp his foot and say NO. Atleast Kratovil is willing to listen, talk, debate. I believe he is representing all of us very well indeed. He is a man of integrity and that is what we need in office.
Kratovil has not voted with Pelosi 90% of the time, in fact he has only voted with his party 83% of the time and out of all 435 Representatives in Congress that is the 5th lowest of either party. I'd say that's pretty moderate. Stop believing what your told on TV and do the research yourselves.
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