Eric Cantor Offers Resolution Denouncing The Democrat Leadership’s Use Of The Slaughter Solution
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Final vote 222-203 with six not voting. Names to remember. .
THE VOTE Tally
The Hill
Republicans have decried the measure as extra-parliamentary and unconstitutional. Democrats have defended the process as well within the scope of regular congressional action, and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday that President Barack Obama would sign a bill passed through such a process.
All Republican lawmakers who voted opposed the measure, which had the effect of ending the GOP’s effort to force a vote. They were joined by 28 Democrats, who broke with party members on the vote.
222 Democrats supported the measure, though, meaning enough to proceed. Three members of both parties did not vote.
Republicans had hoped for the separate vote to get Democratic lawmakers on record on the Senate bill, which includes some provisions on abortion, excise taxes, and other issues that House lawmakers find distasteful.
As this stand[s], Democrats plan a vote on a rule on Sunday that would make changes to the Senate-passed bill while deeming the original legislation to have passed the House.
Those who didn’t vote:
Dem Ackerman
GOP Hastings (WA)
GOP Hoekstra
Dem Lofgren, Zoe
Dem Stark
The 28 Dems who joined Republicans in opposing deem-and-pass cramdown:
Adler (NJ)
Arcuri
Boren
Bright
Carney
Childers
Cooper
Costello
Dahlkemper
Davis (AL)
Giffords
Herseth Sandlin
Holden
Kosmas
Kratovil
Lipinski
McIntyre
McNerney
Melancon
Michaud
Minnick
Mitchell
Nye
Perriello
Shuler
Stupak
Taylor
Teague
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Boehner: House Democrats Endorse “Slaughter Solution,” Vote to Protect Themselves Instead of Their Constituents
GOP Leader: “The ‘Slaughter Solution’ is nothing more than an incumbent protection program for Democrats afraid to stick their necks out because they know how much the American people oppose this bill.”
WASHINGTON, DC
House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement after House Democrats voted to authorize the use of the controversial “Slaughter Solution” to force a massive government takeover of health care through the House without voting on it:
“Today, House Democrats voted to protect themselves instead of their constituents, who are fed up with the lack of accountability and transparency in Washington. The ‘Slaughter Solution’ is nothing more than an incumbent protection program for Democrats afraid to stick their necks out because they know how much the American people oppose this bill. Speaker Pelosi, who promised to lead the ‘most honest, most open, and most ethical’ Congress in history, gave rank-and-file Democrats a chance to pass this job-killing monstrosity without actually voting on it and they jumped at the opportunity.
“This legislative trick has been around for a long time, but it’s never been used for a bill so controversial and so massive in scope. Republicans will continue to stand up for taxpayers and fight to ensure they get a clean, up-or-down vote on the Senate-passed health care bill. The American people won’t let House Democrats hide from this vote.”
NOTE: This “deem and enact” maneuver has been in existence since 1933, but used just six times in the history of the House of Representatives and never in this manner.
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Rep. Hoyer: House Does Not Need to Hold Direct Vote on Health Care Bill to Make It Law
CNSNews.com
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) confirmed that the House of Representatives will use the controversial “Slaughter Solution” – named for Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) who crafted it — to enact the Senate version of health care reform legislation
Speaking to reporters at his weekly Capitol Hill briefing on Tuesday, Hoyer said the Senate would use a so-called self-enacting rule to pass the Senate bill, which would allow them to avoid actually voting on the bill itself.
“We’re going to vote on a bill, on a rule, which would provide for the result that, if a majority are for it, that will adopt a bill, the Senate bill, which has had extensive debate, extensive exposure,” Hoyer said.
“Does anybody in this room doubt that you have to vote on that?” he said. “We will vote on it, in one form or another.”
The procedural sleight of hand Hoyer was referring to has become know as the Slaughter Solution and would involve the House Rules Committee drafting a rule that would merely deem the Senate health bill passed if Congress approved a budget reconciliation measure.
Because the Rules Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), drafts the terms under which bills are brought to the floor and debated, the Slaughter Solution would mean that a vote for the budget reconciliation bill would translate into a vote to pass (or not) the budget and health care bills simultaneously.
However, the vote would be officially recorded as a vote on the budget bill only, thereby allowing House Democrats to say they never technically voted for the unpopular Senate health care bill. If the budget reconciliation bill passes with the Slaughter Solution, the Senate health care bill could then be sent to the White House for President Obama to sign it into law.
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), chairwoman of the House Committee on Rules, which threw out more than 200 amendments proposed for HR 3962, including 11 that required Congress and other government officials to sign on to the same government-run health plan they want for the American people. (AP Photo) When asked whether such a move on so weighty a bill would galvanize public opinion further against Democrats, Hoyer said that the public would merely ask, “So what?”
“So what, says the American public?” Hoyer said. “What they’re interested in (is) what result, what did you do for me and my family to make my life more secure and better (and) of greater quality. And that’s what we’re trying to do.”
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Wild Thing’s comment……..
So the Democrat leadership says the House doesn’t need to vote on a bill for it to become law. Then why do we bother to send people to Congress to represent us????? Un-Constitutional! This is not representative government!
They took an Oath which meant nothing to them, about a Constitution about which they could care less,
representing People on whom they act like parasites.
Prison terms should be the response to congressmen who violate the constitution!! Including the FREAK Obama.
Let and loose the Dogs of War!
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won’t.” – General George Patton
Another blow in the murder of The Constitution. Every one of those Democrats voted, not for health for Americans, but for more government control over our lives. Once this bill is signed into law by obama it will take years to reverse it if we even try to.
“Slaughter Solution” …. quite appropo for the situation, as in, turnabout is fair play, ‘Congress hanging from the yardarm’, literally, no?
All 3 of my members of Congress are scumbags. Schumer and Gillibrand have been strongly in favor of Obamacare and now Scott Murphy the worm has turned.
Thanks for this info WT.
Hang ’em from the Yard Arms…not yet, keelhaul the miserable sons of bitches for three days then hang ’em.
Tom, that is a huge concern too. Someone told me once they were not worried about this being signed. The person has always been pretty much a conservativie and I was shocked. They said it could always be over turned later on. I disagree it cannot be so easily overturned. Once people are given handouts it is almost impossible to take it back from them even if it is a small part of our population.
You are so right Tom, it would take years and it would take being in the majority in a huge way in both houses plus a president that was not a kiss up to the left and an exceptional communicater like Reagan was.
Alex, yes it sure is the perfect name for what they are doing. The woman it is named after will be known now for this as well.
Bob A., I know we are all feeling the stress of this. It has been such a long time, a year and a few months of Obama and his agenda and I wish his reign of terror was closer to being done. We have what 3 years to go. GRRRRRRRRRR
Bob I am sorry about your dems, so many just can’t see how wrong this is and how against our country it is. You have some really strong lefties there.
Mark, applauding that, yessss and a big ditto.
Only the people with the lowest opinion of Democrats dreamed that they would do this. Keep in mind that people who favor abortions will kill the inocent. Get some giid body armor if they do not get their way it will not be long before they start shoiting at Tea Parties.