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Time to Go After Democrats On Repeal of Obamacare

By: Russ Vought (Diary)  |  August 3rd, 2010 at 04:30 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

170 Republicans have now signed the discharge petition to repeal Obamacare. The petition was submitted by Rep. Steve King and has been pushed heavily by the Heritage Action for America (my new employer, as it happens) and other conservative organizations. There are a few stragglers but for the most part, House Republicans are now solid in their commitment to repeal the bill.

Not so with the Democrats, for not one has signed the petition.

34 Democrats voted against Obamacare, but not one of them has been willing to buck Nancy Pelosi and work on a bipartisan basis to allow a vote on repeal. Not one.

Focusing on these Democrats is the next wave of the legislative campaign to repeal Obamacare. The names and districts are below the fold—call them and demand to know why they support keeping Obamacare the permanent law of the land.

John Adler (NJ-3)
Jason Altmire (PA-4)
Michael Arcuri (NY-24)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Marion Berry (AR-1)
Dan Boren (OK-2)
Rick Boucher (VA-9)
Bobby Bright (AL-2)
Ben Chandler (KY-6)
Travis Childers (MS-1)
Artur Davis (AL)
Lincoln Davis (TN)
Chet Edwards (TX)
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD-AL)
Tim Holden (PA-17)
Larry Kissell (NC-8)
Frank Kratovil (MD-1)
Daniel Lipinski (IL-3)
Stephen Lynch (MA-9)
Jim Marshall (GA-9)
Jim Matheson (UT-2)
Mike McIntyre (NC-7)
Mike McMahon (NY-13)
Charlie Melancon (LA-3)
Walt Minnick (ID-1)
Glenn Nye (VA-2)
Colin Peterson (MN-7)
Mike Ross (AR-4)
Heath Shuler (NC-11)
Ike Skelton (MO-4)
Zach Space (OH-18)
John Tanner (TN-8)
Gene Taylor (MS-4)
Harry Teague (NM-2)

Call the House switchboard at 202-224-3121 and have the operator patch you through to their office.

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COMMENTS

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  • Wine Country Dog

    through Medicare. It had an old gentleman telling the camera about all the free stuff he was going to get under “the new health law”. Looks like the left is going to put on a big push in an attempt to make it more difficult to repeal 0bama’s folly.

    BTW I have a hard time calling it “0bamacare” or “health care” when it really is not about health care, it’s about power and control.

    I sure hope our side is ready to keep the pressure on this issue. When I talk to people I use Pelouse’s statement that they had to pass it for us to find out about it – and now we are finding out that it is a big steaming bowl of Not Good.

  • klondike

    This is a very timely diary for me. I just received a very nicely written letter from my Dem representative (I say “nicely written” letter because it at least did not regurgitate Obama’s recitations as my two (Dem) Senators do pretty much 100% of the time) explaining his reasons for voting against Obamacare – too costly, was not going to improve health care in this country, and it threatened Tricare for the military. His letter said the first bill protected Tricare, the one that passed did not. However, he too waited until the last minute to vote “No.” It will be a pleasure to write him and ask him to sign this petition and let him know that, if he does not, I will know that he lies.

    A recent Bloomberg editorial, commenting on Rep. Kevin Brady’s charts created during an analysis of Obamacare, says:

    “Getting that massive enterprise up and running will be next to impossible. So Democrats streamlined the process by granting Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius the authority to make judgments that can

  • snakedoc67

    This next election is critical to reigning in this Big Government gone Wild. Barney Frank needs to go. Earl Sholley is his conservative Republican challenger here in the Mass 4th District. Find out how to join our growing grassroots army if you are TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY, and want to retire Barney Frank go to sholleyforcongress.us and get involved!!

  • ihateliberals

    besides repealing ObamaCare is that every state pass laws that gut the law just as Pennsylvania, Virginia and many other states are doing. Challenging the law in court and passing laws to gut the legislation. The best route for the country though is to repeal the law and then make sure that this unconstitutional approach never happen again.

    • renny

      So, now there are three states banning applying the major directive the 2000+ act: EVERYONE must buy health ins. or be penalized by the IRS.

  • simplyright4me

    I live in Missouri and voted yes on C to stick it to the big O. I would love to be in the House right now to quietly walk into Pelosi’s office and close the door behind me and …. We have 34 ballless Democrats that should close the door behind them and tell Pelosi what I would tell her. Missouri has voted and with that vote we have said “We are coming and Hell is coming with us”, just like Kurt Russell in Tombstone.

  • http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/ reaganiterepublicanresistance

    ObamaCare to be defunded next year for sure, and if the reapeal can’t get past Dear Leader’s veto, it’s just a matter of time until it’s gone… public sentiment has never warmed to this thing, and there’s no way it won’t head further south as the taxes arrive and gruesome details come to the fore

  • acat

    Somehow, they manage to stay in lockstep with the party… even when it’s counter to what the citizens they represent are demanding.

    Mew

  • edintexas

    I think it is premature to perform the proverbial chicken counting. While the Republicans seem assured of control of the House, you confuse a majority with having the will to do something. Republicans haven’t a great history of actually doing that which we desire and they claim to want. I’m hopeful, but we already know about “hope” in politics (actually WE have known for decades, John Q. Public is now learning).

    Not to mention the need to get something through the Senate, where we can be sure some Republicans are more likely to vote with the Democrats than with Republicans. And finally there is the Veto to consider. Funding bills are considered a necessity, but the Republicans folded with Bill Clinton, who could be considered to have been less likely to hang tough, in the long haul, than Dear Leader and his team may be.

  • rickcaston

    welcome a veto by the liar in chief. This would set the stage for his ouster in 2012.

  • NeoKong

    34 Democrats voted against Obamacare, but not one of them has been willing to buck Nancy Pelosi and work on a bipartisan basis to allow a vote on repeal. Not one.

    They voted against it when their vote did not matter.
    It’s just like how Ben Nelson can vote against Kagan when he knows she will still be confirmed. (Thanks Lindsey)
    Remember the courageous oh so principled blue dog pro-life Democrats who were led by Bart Stupak who were going to stand in the way of Obamacare…..?
    They never had any intention of voting against it.
    As a matter of fact I cannot recount any Democrat of note who ever spoke out against it.
    They were all silent.

    In the end Steve King may have a few Dems actually sign the petition but he will never get the magic signature of 218.
    No Democrat will be the one to end Obamacare…..just like last time.

  • dave2131

    That we can not block funding (or defund) Obamacare because it would violate the Pay-Go rules…Not that it really matters though I guess.

  • gawntrail1

    With two exceptions……..

    As long as they can either extract useful favors or as long as they are afraid……….

    In both cases, getting kicked to the curb in NOV might be the one and only thing that eliminates either (or both) of these two exceptions. DEMs, especially those of the Clinton persuasion, might just find themselves with an opportunity to serve up a cold plate of revenge.

  • walter_hanson

    Republicans should make a motion to ask for the vote on the health care bill to be changed with anybody who refuses to sign the discharge position to be an yes vote.

    Than all fall their opponents run the commercial Congressman or Congresswoman voted yes on Obama care not no!

    Walter Hanson
    Minneapolis, MN

  • dave2131

    I think the no vote for most of them was just political cover for the 2010 elections. However, I really do think, once the elections are over, I can see where some will jump on board.

    I live in NC-11 which is really a strange district. Other than Cap & Trade, Shuler has voted against the major issues in the past couple years – NO on TARP, Stimulus, HCR, but YES on Cap & Trade. I’m not really sure what to think, because there are a lot of really liberal people here, so there is some type of balancing act needed. For example, Shuler easily won the Dem Primary, but lost the vote in Asheville, NC – which is the most liberal area (I’m trying really hard not to make jokes about some of the people in AVL).

    I think right now it is calculated steps. Once the elections are over, we’ll see what they really want.

  • lineholder

    Asheville’s sort of a nuance of its own, isn’t it? I lived there for about five years and then moved a bit southeast to Brevard. Second and third generation mountain folks up there are conservative to the hilt. It’s the rich retirees living in high-brow communities that alter the mix.

  • lineholder

    They are a vengeful sort, aren’t they?

    Even from former President Clinton these Dems heard that if they passed the bill they would be national heroes. They were promised that if they were loyal to this administration it would pay off for them in the elections. None of it has been true. It was all smoke and mirrors.

    Yeah, if the elections go against them, I think there are quite a few who will be out for revenge.

  • edintexas

    Is that the repeal of the requirement for 1099 filing (this requirement is a measure to ostensibly raise tax income) must be “paid for” by a commensurate cut in spending, or increase in taxes, under the Pay-Go rule. That had nothing to do with defunding the entire monstrosity, which should be revenue neutral to expenditure saving and without any complication by Pay-Go House Rules.

  • rightwingmom52

    We need to thank those who have signed, call those who haven’t and keep the pressure on all. Bright & Davis here in AL & Davis in TN most likely won’t sign. Davis has announced he’s leaving politics at the end of his term, so he has no reaon to do so unless he wants to stick it to the liberal Dems who didn’t support his gubernatorial bid. TN’s primary is tomorrow, so we’ll see if Davis has any competition. If not, he’ll continue to play both sides. Bright is considered the most conservative Democrat in Congress, but he’s still a Democrat and his race could be close.

  • dave2131

    Those who move into this area are about as liberal as you can get.

    What do you think of Jeff Miller as our Republican nominee for NC11 seat?