Lawmaker News

Americans have been "traumatized" by the national debate over healthcare reform, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said Friday.

The shrill terms of the debate, such as so-called "death panels," as well as a fear by those who are currently insured about whether their coverage would suffer have distressed the country, Nelson told CNN Radio.

"America has been traumatized by the debate because of the labeling of certain parts -- like the hospice panel -- as the 'death panel,'" Nelson said.

"The concern is what happens to the 200 million Americans who have coverage on the private side right now," Nelson added. "They're worried that they're going to lose something for somebody else to win something."

Nelson said that his own town halls have been rather civil, but that the raucous confrontations taking place at some of his colleagues' meetings would play out once they return to Washington in September.

He argued it was "premature" to say whether or not the bill would be able to pass, but anticipated a higher-level discussion of healthcare next month.

"I think it'll be a better debate when we get back to Washington," Nelson said. "I also think it will be a time to put to use what we've heard back home."

The head of the Louisiana Democratic Party filed an ethics complaint against Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) on Friday, accusing Vitter of using his taxpayer-funded town hall meetings as campaign events.

Party chairman Chris Wittington filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee, saying in the sworn statement that shots Vitter had taken at prospective reelection opponent, Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.), as well as the controlled environment of the meetings, had constituted a breach of ethics.

"These comments, and in particular Senator Vitter's repeated attacks on his likely campaign opponent, indicate these events were political and not official in nature," Whittington wrote.

Lawmakers are forbidden from using official funds, bankrolled by taxpayers, for campaign purposes.

"Instead of using town hall meetings to foster a free and open discussion on important issues, Senator Vitter has essentially staged taxpayer-funded campaign events to repeatedly launch misleading attacks on his potential opponent and build his campaign's war chest," said Louisiana Democratic Party Spokesman Kevin Franck. "Once again David Vitter has given into the temptation to cross an ethical and legal boundary."

The complaint could establish an interesting precedent for the heated August town hall meetings, giving pause to any lawmaker who made statements about potential political foes in recent meetings.

It was unacceptable for Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) to shout down a constituent at a town hall meeting who compared President Obama to Nazi leader Adolph Hitler, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said Friday.

Blackburn told CNBC in an interview that while it is not okay for the protester, a reported Lyndon LaRouche supporter to compare the president to the fascist leader, members of Congress should be held to a higher standard when conducting their town hall meetings.

"No it does not mean that it is okay to walk in with a poster like that, nor does it mean that it is okay or acceptable for Congressman Frank to respond in that way," Blackburn said.

"I think that it is imperative that we, as members of Congress, conduct our town halls in a way that ensures individuals that they are going to be heard," she added. "And that is what I think most members of Congress have sought to do during this recess."

The famously abrasive Frank exploded at the town hall participant who made the comparison, asking her what planet she lives on, and told her, "Trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table."

Blackburn said that while protesters have often been boisterous in disrupting town hall meetings during the August recess, lawmakers must be "respectful of the American people."

The prospects for Senate Democrats to use the so-called "nuclear option" to bypass a filibuster on healthcare reform legislation are doubtful, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said late Thursday.

Kyl, the second-ranking Senate Republican who is in charge of counting votes, asserted that Democrats have too many dissenters within their own ranks to pass healthcare reform legislation with only a simple majority.

"I don't know whether they will or not," Kyl said on Fox News when asked if Democrats would use budget reconciliation rules (the "nuclear option") to pass healthcare, meaning only a simple majority of the Senate would be needed, instead of the normal 60 votes needed to end a filibuster.

"Perhaps out of frustration they will, but I kind of doubt it because the reason that they're having trouble even among the Democratic majority -- and remember, in the Senate they have 60, Republicans only have 40," Kyl added.

Kyl said that as far as the bill from the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee goes -- which includes the public (or "government-run") healthcare option -- no Republicans and as many as a dozen Democrats might not support that proposal.

"Frankly, there are 10, 12 at least Democrats who I don't think would support it," Kyl said.

"Clearly, they have a problem within the Democratic ranks," the whip said of Senate Democrats. "They are not together on how far they want to go with this."

It would be in the GOP's interest to see President Obama suffer politically by defeating the healthcare reform bill the president has pushed, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) acknowledged Thursday.

Shelby, during an appearance of Fox News Radio, concurred with host Brian Kilmeade's suggestion that it would open up opportunities for Republicans on issues to let Obama "go down with the healthcare ship."

"I think it's always in our interest to let anybody go down when we think they're philosophically wrong, and I believe he's totally wrong on this healthcare," Shelby said.

Democrats had pounced on suggestions by Republican lawmakers that defeating the bill would be to their political benefit. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) was most notably castigated for saying that defeating healthcare would be Obama's "Waterloo."

The president suggested himself that Republicans are consciously looking to oppose any legislation he puts forth on healthcare.

"I think early on a decision was made by the Republican leadership that said, 'Look, let's not give them a victory. Maybe we can have a replay of 1993-'94 when Clinton came in,'" Obama said during an appearance on the Michael Smerconish radio show this afternoon. "And I think there are some folks who are taking a page out of that playbook."

Shelby said "it would be wise" for Republicans to make an aggressive push on healthcare when the Senate reconvenes in September.

"I believe that things are running our way -- that is, against the government takeover of healthcare -- at the moment, but things could shift," Shelby stated. "We cannot let that happen."

Elections in Afghanistan might just have a better voter registration process than the U.S., one senator observing Afghan elections this week suggested Thursday.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the only member of Congress on the ground to observe elections in Afghanistan, praised the election process in the country, where U.S. troops have been stationed since 2001.

"I'm sure there were irregularities -- I mean, this is a country that is obviously coming along, if you will, as it relates to democracy," Corker said in a conference call with journalists about the trip. "But I have to tell you, from what we observed, every single polling station was set up the same, there was a description on the wall about what to do pictorially, there were observers in every single polling place."

Corker was particularly impressed by the voter registration cards each Afghan voters were required to tote at the polls.

"The same system was set up in every single place," Corker said. "A person would come in with a registration card -- and I might add, there you cannot vote without a registration card. That's not the case even in the home states."

Overall, the first-term senator said he was generally happy with what he'd observed.

"I was very impressed with what I saw at the polling stations," Corker said.

Democrats are choosing to "go it alone" without the country if they opt to pass healthcare reform on a party-lines basis, one Republican congressman accused Thursday.

"If they go it alone without the Republicans, it also sounds like they want to go it alone without the American people," Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) told a conservative news radio program in an interview.

Democrats in Congress have mulled whether or not to seek to force through healthcare reform legislation containing a public (or "government-run") option using legislative techniques to bypass procedural rules.

"I think they'd better beware, because the American people do not want to be left out of this process," Cassidy warned.

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) will evaluate "card check" legislation when a final bill emerges, his office said Thursday.

A previous sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), Bayh's spokesman told the Howey Political Report that the Indiana centrist would withhold judgment on the latest iteration of the bill.

"Sen. Bayh will evaluate it when there is something to analyze," spokesman Brian Weiss told the newsletter. "He did not co-sponsor EFCA this year because, although he supports meaningful labor law reform, he felt changes needed to be made.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood encouraging his department to "expedite reimbursements" to auto dealers participating in the "Cash for Clunkers" rebate program in order to further stimulate car sales.

"This program has had a significant stimulative effect on the sale of cars in the U.S., and dealers have submitted hundreds of thousands of vouchers for processing," Reid wrote in the letter. "In order to capture a sale...dealers have been forced to effectively finance the CARS vouchers for buyers until the dealers are reimbursed by the federal government."

The Nevada Democrat warned that slow reimbursements could hurt sales at participating dealerships.

Reid also took to Twitter to publicize the announcement:

Sent a letter to Sec LaHood urging him to expedite reimbursements to auto dealers participating in Cash for Clunkers http://bit.ly/Ck4TC

Full text of the letter is below:

Dear Secretary LaHood:

I am writing to request that the Department of Transportation take additional steps to expedite reimbursements to U.S. automobile dealers for vouchers issued to consumers under the Car Allowance Rebate System (the "CARS" or "cash for clunkers" program).

As you well know, this program has had a significant stimulative effect on the sale of cars in the U.S., and dealers have submitted hundreds of thousands of vouchers for processing. In order to capture a sale but also make use of the CARS incentive, dealers have been forced to effectively finance the CARS vouchers for buyers until the dealers are reimbursed by the federal government, placing a strain on dealers' balance sheets that, if prolonged, could eventually offset some of the benefits of the program. Indeed, I was disappointed to learn of reports that many dealers are no longer participating in the program due to these concerns.

I recognize the CARS program's success perhaps has placed unexpected burdens on the Department, and I appreciate your decision earlier this week to increase the number of staff devoted to processing voucher submissions. I also appreciate your public remarks this week assuring dealers that properly submitted vouchers will be honored and appropriate notice provided to announce the termination of the CARS program, thus preventing the program from running out of money before all vouchers could be honored.

Notwithstanding these assurances, I believe that even more certainty must be provided to dealers who participate in the program to ensure its continued success. For example, the Department should consider implementing a policy providing that all properly submitted vouchers will be reimbursed within five business days, and continue adding staff and devoting resources as needed to meet this timeline. By adopting such a guideline, dealers will be more willing to place their capital at risk to carry the cost of CARS vouchers until reimbursement, and more dealers will continue participating in the program, thereby maximizing the program's objectives.

I appreciate your consideration of this matter and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

Cross-posted to the Twitter Room

Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) said on Wednesday that providing healthcare to uninsured Americans is "not what this healthcare reform debate is about."

In making his comments, Ross, who is the centrist Blue Dogs' health reform point man, questioned one of the primary healthcare goals of the White House and Democratic leaders.

"That is a side benefit to healthcare reform and an important one," Ross told the Arkansas Educational Television Network. Instead, the fifth-term congressman said the bill should focus on "cost containment."

The Energy and Commerce Committee member reiterated that he wants to pass a health reform bill by the end of this year, a desire that may irk some Republicans who supported his effort to slow the bill before August recess.

"The extreme right had a two-week love affair with me," Ross said. "The extreme right, simply, they do not want healthcare reform. And so, they saw me as killing healthcare reform because I put the brakes on
healthcare reform."

The influential fifth-term Democrat identified several provisions that would prevent him from voting for the bill.

On the public option, Ross said he would not vote for a plan that would "force government-run healthcare on anyone. Period." But he also said that the House bill contained a public plan that is "strictly...an option."

Providing government subsides for abortions, coverage for illegal immigrants, rationing of care, and deficit increases comprised Ross' deal-breakers.

"I've got the extreme right and the extreme left angry with me so I must be doing something right," he said.

Ross said the bill should reduce costs by allowing the Medicare to negotiate prices with drug companies and by dropping co-pays for preventitive doctors' visits.

In the end, Ross acknowledged that the House version may not make up the bulk of the final bill. He estimated that 90 percent of the conference committee bill would come from the Senate Finance Committee's version.

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