DCCC: House GOP's healthcare solutions are 'Halloween trick'

A group of Democrats on Friday compared House Republicans' healthcare platform to a "Halloween trick" and scolded GOP lawmakers for failing to offer "actual solutions" to the country's insurance crisis.

The latest attack from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), mailed to lawmakers in 36 districts this afternoon, arrives just as House Republicans are beginning their own assault on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) new healthcare bill, which she unveiled earlier this week.

“As a Member of Congress who doesn’t have to worry about the taxpayer-funded health insurance for themselves or their family, it’s easy for Representative Bachmann to just say ‘no’ to health insurance reform and play tricks on her constituents while continuing to put big health insurance companies first,” said Ryan Rudominer, DCCC spokesman, in the letter mailed to Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) district. 

“But, the people of Representative Bachmann’s District deserve more than her offering how-to guides for killing health insurance reform ‘without making the Republican Party look bad,’ they deserve actual solutions to spiraling health insurance costs,” he added.

Of course, Republicans too have capitalized on this week's intensified healthcare debate -- and this weekend's Halloween festivities -- to launch a few political jabs. On Tuesday, for example, Texas Rep. Ed Poe (R) charged that Pelosi and House Democrats were putting together "Halloween healthcare." He also joked the federal government would soon go "door-to-door playing trick or treat on seniors by taking their Medicare coverage."

"When they knock, seniors should not answer the door. When they peek through the peephole, the bureaucrats will be dressed as snake oil salesmen because they are cutting Medicare parts A, B, C and D," Poe said. "They are going to try to sell seniors on the new bill which we call Medicare part E, but it doesn't cover one senior citizen. Not one. Just call it Halloween healthcare because it is really scary."

Nevertheless, the House could vote on Pelosi's healthcare bill as early as next Thursday, she has previously said.