Bill would allow Utah to opt out of federal health care reform [Archive] - Debate Policy

chloe

02-11-2010, 08:49 PM

By Randall Jeppesen


SALT LAKE CITY -- A bill that would require Utah's legislators to approve any federally passed health care reform before it could be applied in the state was introduced on the House floor Thursday.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, says the state needs to have the guts to stand up to the federal government.

"This is a tough, real bill that has real results," says Wimmer. "There are some that say we are picking a fight. We are not picking a fight, we are just finally fighting back."

Not everyone feels that way. A group of health care advocates led by Judy Hillman with the Utah Health Policy Project brought business owners, Medicaid recipients and others to the Capitol Thursday to voice their concerns over the bill.

Hillman says if the bill passes, it sets the groundwork for the federal government to pull Utah's Medicaid funding, leaving thousands of Utahns without any form of health coverage.
"We are playing with fire and if we go in that direction the state could have blood on its hands," Hillman says.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=9653319

Kathianne

02-11-2010, 09:02 PM

Could this be the face of things to come? How about recalls? If the administration is really planning on the following, I think there is going to be a backlash not seen since 1776:

http://healthcare.nationalreview.com/post/?q=M2E0NTljYTM4OTEyYjYzMmViM2NjMzgyZjE1NThhMzY

Pelosi Aide: Democrats Have Settled on Reconciliation [Daniel Foster]
Via Washington Examiner and LifeNews.com:

"In comments reported by Congress Daily, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s top health care aide Wendell Primus admitted top Democrats have already decided on the strategy to pass the Senate's pro-abortion, government-run health care bill.

"Primus explained that the Senate will use the controversial reconciliation strategy that will have the House approve the Senate bill and both the House and Senate okaying changes to the bill that the Senate will sign off on by preventing Republicans from filibustering.

“'The trick in all of this is that the president would have to sign the Senate bill first, then the reconciliation bill second, and the reconciliation bill would trump the Senate bill,' Primus said at the National Health Policy Conference hosted by Academy Health and Health Affairs.

“'There's a certain skill, there's a trick, but I think we'll get it done,' he said."

http://patterico.com/2010/02/11/health-care-tricks/

Lots of links:

2/11/2010
Health Care “Tricks” (Updated x2)
Filed under: Health Care, Obama, Politics — DRJ @ 1:35 am
[Guest post by DRJ]

In a Washington Examiner article yesterday, Editorial Page Editor Mark Tapscott quotes a Life News report that Democrats have already agreed to the use of legislative “tricks” to pass health care with reconciliation and other maneuvers.

If that’s true, Tapscott’s contemporaneous article on recall provisions takes on added significance:

“Did you know that nine states have provisions in their constitutions for recalling elected officials, possibly including the senators and congressmen representing them in Washington?

The states include Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. RecallCongress.org points out that Article 1, Section 2b of the New Jersey constitution says: “The people reserve unto themselves the power to recall, after at least one year of service, any elected official in this State or representing this State in the United States Congress. The Legislature shall enact laws to provide for such recall elections.”

There are a dozen incumbent senators from these nine states who are not up for re-election in 2010, but who could be if successful petition drives were mounted in their states.”

If the Democrats follow through on this “trick,” President Obama’s upcoming health care summit is essentially a distraction or a stunt. How many Democrats are willing to go along with the charade?...