Congressional Leadership heeds Conservative Dems’ call for more time to review legislation.
Washington, DC – Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announced that a vote on health care reform legislation will not be considered on the House floor until after the August District Work Period. In a joint statement Pelosi and Hoyer thanked members of the Blue Dog Coalition and credited them with their leadership on the issue saying, “At the request of the Blue Dog Coalition, in order to allow more time to carefully review the additional proposed legislative language, we will bring the bill to the House floor in September.”
Rep. Frank Kratovil, a member of the House Blue Dog Coalition, has been particularly vocal about the need to provide the appropriate amount of time for Members of Congress to review this important legislation and discuss with their constituents. He had repeatedly advocated for pushing a vote until after the August recess in numerous conversations with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Kratovil released the following statement about the decision to hold the vote until September.
“Pushing the health care vote to September means that my colleagues and constituents will have the appropriate amount of time to consider, review and assess any health care reform legislation before a vote. Members of Congress may continue to disagree on the merits of the legislation, but reasonable folks from both sides of the aisle can agree that getting this done right is more important that getting it done quickly based on artificial timetables. I’m proud that we in the Blue Dog Coalition succeeded in arguing for more time.
“Our health care system in need of some reform, and we have a lot of progress we need to make in the areas of coverage, cost, and rural access. The current legislation still needs a lot of work, and so I’m glad we will now have more time to debate constructive changes to the bill. After decades of debate, we now have a chance to craft reform that puts us on path toward fiscal stability and middle class prosperity. That means that Congress has a responsibility both to this generation and future generations to get it right.”
Rep. Frank Kratovil
Below please find the text of an OPED printed Sunday July 26, 2009 in the Baltimore Sun concerning this same issue and calling for any vote to be pushed until September.
Do health reform right instead of doing it quickly
By Frank Kratovil
July 26, 2009
In his press conference last week focusing on health care reform, President Barack Obama stated, "If we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit." I could not agree with him more. Our economy is buckling under the weight of a health care system that has us spending nearly twice as much per capita than other industrialized countries. Health care already represents 17 percent of our gross domestic product, and that figure is projected to rise to 25 percent by 2025 if action is not taken. With our national debt now topping $11.6 trillion and growing at a rate of more than $1 trillion this year, we urgently need to pass comprehensive health care reform that expands coverage while bringing costs under control.
In the rural parts of our state, including much of the Eastern Shore, we face the added challenge of having to address a worsening shortage of qualified providers. Low insurance reimbursement rates and a flawed Medicare payment formula make it difficult for Shore communities to attract and retain skilled doctors and nurses. Even if health care reform eliminates the coverage gap, rural Marylanders will still have a tough time finding a doctor if these systemic flaws are not adequately addressed within the reform legislation.
The challenges facing lawmakers on all three of these fronts - coverage, cost and rural access - are considerable. After decades of debate, we now have what may be a short window to finally make progress by passing health care reform legislation that will put our nation back on a path toward fiscal stability and middle class prosperity. That means that Congress has a responsibility both to this generation and future generations to get it right.
That is why recent comments from Doug Elmendorf, director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), were so concerning. Mr. Elmendorf testified before a Senate panel that the legislation pending before the House would not adequately address the cost crisis, and would actually worsen our federal government's long-term fiscal outlook. While I agree with President Obama that skyrocketing costs and a lack of coverage signal a need to reform health care in our country, the CBO's findings cast legitimate doubts as to whether the legislation before the House will accomplish these shared goals.
At the very least, these questions about this bill's long-term fiscal implications should highlight the need to be deliberative and thorough in reviewing this health care reform legislation. We should not rush any plan through Congress that has not been properly vetted. The bill must be tweaked until neutral budget analysts confirm that it will sufficiently bend the cost curve to improve our fiscal outlook.
Members of Congress must then have the time to talk with local stakeholders - such as the health care providers on the Eastern Shore who are at the front lines of the rural access crisis - to judge whether it adequately address these regional concerns. Getting this right is more important than getting this done by an artificial deadline.
I realize that there are some in Congress who will oppose any type of reform, not based on merit but for purely political reasons. But for those of us who reject this obstructionism and are firmly committed to reforming our system the right way, it is imperative we spend the time to get this right. I have urged both the White House and Democratic congressional leaders to make sure we have enough time to thoroughly review any proposal before a vote. I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right, and I will not support any legislative proposal until its full consequences for cost, coverage and rural access have been thoroughly examined.
Frank Kratovil represents Maryland's 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He may be contacted through his Web site at www.house.gov/kratovil.
Copyright © 2009, The Baltimore Sun
10 comments:
Oh Mr. Kratovil, we are so touched... but after your other LOUSY votes why don't we beleive a word you say????
So I understand a lot was changed in the bill and it will be reprinted in its new version by the end of the week? If so, we all need to read it again, take our notes, and send them off to Frank again, and Barack.
Somebody share the link if its found. we'll have a month to go through it and make ourselves known.
It appears that he is listening to his constituents. I know myself I don't tell him how I feel about some votes, so I have to blame that on my own apathy and not using something as simple as my voice.
Thanks Jamming Frank, I think it's cool he like to sit in and play with the little people. You have to admit we've seen Frank right here a lot more than we did Wayne.
I did vote for Andy Harris but my Mom always said "Things happen for a reason." Maybe at this point and time we need Andy's voice more here in Maryland. Andy for governor?
I know it's just another opinion, and you know what they say about those LoL
I haven't seen a copy of the bill,have you? I did find this on the Canadian Free Press with the number of the questions and the problem with them. It is worth a read.
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/13158
Some people will bash Frank no matter what he does because he is not Andy Harris or a Republican.
I applaud the push he and others have done to get this delayed for more review and revision. It needs both!
How many times did Debbie Campbell or Terry Cohen get blasted by Gary Comegys or Barrie Tilghman for insisting more time be taken in writing laws so that they worked for the people? And they've been right every time!
I'm going to give Frank Kratovil his due on this and pray it works out well.
Both Mr. Kratovil and Mr. Cardin have planned "town hall" style events scheduled here on the eastern shore over the August district work period. If people can take time off during their work day, everyone will have some sort of opportunity to express their views directly to these representatives.
He should read about the amount of fraud being charged against MEDICARE then put the resources in to stop it.
I have an even better idea.
LEAVE IT ALONE AND
STAY OUT OF HEALTH CARE!
I think the government should just get out of health insurance period. There is always corruption when government get involved. Obama complains that doctors and health insurance companies make too much profit...But why do you think doctors and health insurance companies support him? Because they will benefit from this bill. No company would support something unless they will make more money. People you need to wake up. Obama is only doing this for a vote. Read the bill and you will realize he doesn't care about your health.
Health Insurance is costly and there needs to be a change. It should mirror car insurance. I do not think insurance should cover basic cost like doctor appointments or prescription drugs. It should only cover emergencies or serious illnesses. People would be more fiscally responsible and won't purchase prescriptions when they don't actually need them. You should be able to pick a package you are comfortable with like you can with car insurance. Car insurance doesn't cover maintenance like an oil change or new tires. They cover you for an emergency. Just by doing this would lower cost significantly. Also people who don't smoke shouldn't have to pay to cover someone who does. People should be awarded for eating healthy and exercising. Like car insurance; people who drive safe pay less for coverage. Its not that difficult people.
Think about it. We are willing to pay a $60 cable bill each month but are unwilling to pay a $20 copay for a doctors appointment once a year. Whats more important to you?
I am a registered Democrat. BUT, voted Republican for the last several years. Tuesday night i got a call and I was invited to be on the Town Forum online. I did join in and IF Mr. Kravitol stands by what he said, regarding health care I could see that he might be thinking in the right direction (for the most part). He mentioned the Blue Dogs. One lady came on and asked if Obama was going to do anything in his bill regarding getting lower prescription drug prices. NO, that is not mentioned in the bill. She asked some other very good questions and his answer was again no. He said that was why he was not in favor of the bill as it is written now. Time will tell.
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