Republican Party

House Will Not Move to Defund Health Care Reform in 2011 Budget

By Jay Newton-Small | @JNSmall | February 15, 2011 | +

The House GOP leadership has allowed a rare open amendment process to the FY2011 budget on the floor this week.  Thus far 403 amendments totaling 459 pages have been filed with more to come. Most of the Democratic amendments will try and reinstate many of the $100 billion in cuts. Many of the Republican Study Committee amendments will try and deepen those cuts.

A selection of those that have been filed:

-Defund Planned Parenthood

-Defund all travel for the secretaries of the Treasury and Housing and Urban Development

-Block any improvements to the White House

-Block foreign aid to Saudi Arabia, Russia and China

-Block foreign aid to Israel, Jordan and Egypt

-Block the Army Corps of Engineers from working on beach replenishment projects

-Block money for international climate change talks

-Prevent the military from advertising at Nascar races

-Limit to $200 million the amount that is spent annually on military bands

-Block pay rises for federal employees

-Stop all payments to the United Nations

-Block legal fees in the case of the United States v. The State of Arizona and Janice K. Brewer

-Strip money from the census and give it to the COPS program, which is getting slashed in this budget

But some of the most controversial items may get cut. There is a rule that amendments to spending bills must not “legislate.” Last night the Republicans on the Rules Committee reluctantly rejected Iowa Republican Steve King’s amendment to defund health care reform. “It is an abomination that this bill was passed,” Rep. Virginia Fox, a North Carolina Republican, said according to Fox News’ Chad Pergram. But, “you are asking us to change the rules here in the Rules Committee… What that does is open us up to the same accusations that were made of our colleagues across the aisle over the last four years in terms of them not being fair to us.” Which means that Colorado Freshman Cory Gardner’s amendment to bar federal employees from working on the health care exchanges created by the bill will also likely be struck down. Other amendments that also could fall in the realm of “legislating”:

-Prohibit body scanner use by the Transportation Security Administration

-Block implementation of the FCC’s Net Neutrality ruling

-Prevent the EPA from implementing cap and trade/climate change rules

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Related Topics: 2011 budget, Budgets, Congress, Democratic Party, Economy, Health Care, Republican Party

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  • newfreedomblog

    Finally, people doing what they were elected to do.

  • jsfox

    Silliest damn list I have seen in some time. And pointless posturing.

    So where’s the cuts to agriculture subsidies – $20 billion

    Where is the dismantling of the not needed oil and gas industry tax breaks – $35 billion.

    Let’s not touch those things that keep us in office.

  • deconstructiva

    Thanks, Jay. Does military prohibitions at NASCAR, if passed, mean Ryan Newman has to get a new sponsor? Or will fans throughout the South force their R’s to nix the idea? (Jimmie Johnson’s fans won’t give a rat’s ass since he’ll probably repeat the title anyway again, but I digress.) But seriously, will they cut funds for unnecessary MIC projects like the F-35 spare engine and others?
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#41591023
    .
    …or is Mark instead finding this out given his good military coverage? And whither HCR defunding? Appreciate your thoughts, Jay, thanks (and Mark’s too, pass the word).

  • swissArmyBrainBETA

    where did that military advertising one come from?! were republicans expected to try to defund health care reform implementation at this point? i had heard it mentioned at least but couldn’t tell how serious it was.
    .
    oh and jsfox, posturing isn’t pointless.

  • nflfoghorn

    If that’s your idea of it, I guess we’re all screwed.

  • sacredh

    “-Block the Army Corps of Engineers from working on beach replenishment projects”
    .
    That made me laugh. I wonder if they even considered that some rich republicans have beach front property that would be virtually worthless if the beaches wash away. Maybe they thought that poor liberal democrats don’t deserve to have their beach front trailers protected at taxpayer expense.

  • Paul-no not that one

    “-Block foreign aid to Saudi Arabia, Russia and China
    .
    -Block foreign aid to Israel, Jordan and Egypt”
    .
    I’ll admit I didn’t expect to see Israel on their list.

  • nflfoghorn

    That had to be a slip. Allasudden we’re anti-Semitic??

  • Paul-no not that one

    Could someone adept at finding information provide a dollar amount total for the list JNS provided?
    .
    This strikes me as more of a “Let’s get a rise out of the Democrats” move than addressing any budget concerns.

  • newfreedomblog

    We’re coming for your food stamps next. What will you eat then, little PNNTO?

  • Paul-no not that one

    heh-combining your fanciful “biography” and republicans penchant for projection I think you may have shared more about yourself than you know.

  • uhasan8

    The deficit is obviousy unsustainable, and while discretionary cuts are part of the remedy, without addressing entitlements and defense we’ll get no where.

    While I don’t support a tax increase in this economy, I think it should be reformed in ways that raise revenue. One place to start would be the Capital Gains tax. Currently the low levels of taxation would continue until 2012. I think it should be kept that way, but in 2012 we should restructure it. Right now there’s one tax level for short term (1 year). I think we should stratify this a bit more to 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years, with a net tax decrease on long term investments, and an increase on short term gains. i think this will increase revenue, decrease short selling, and encourage long term investment.

    It’s more complicated than this, but if i write a wall of text longer than this then I doubt anyone will read it.

  • uhasan8

    I forgot to mention that the current the level of capital gains tax for long term investments is lower than short term.
    It should be that way, but even lower for income from investments held for more that 5 years, and greater for income from investments held for less than 6 months.

  • pintortwo

    Limit to $200 million the amount that is spent annually on military bands
    .
    .
    $12,000 tubas?

  • http://erieangel.wordpress.com erieangel

    That had me laughing. Why does the military have bands anyway, I thought men and women went into the military to fight for our country not to play instruments.

  • pintortwo

    (An) open amendment process to the FY2011 budget… Thus far 403 amendments totaling 459 pages have been filed with more to come.
    .
    This is very odd to me. It seems such a hodge-podge of stuff with no clear design and which cuts across the political spectrum. How can anyone in the House be for or against all of it. Vote “yes” and you’re likely tagged a supporter of a number of issues you don’t really support. What’s the purpose? -to check if the new reps will play the game?
    .
    It’s a clusterf@ck aspiring to become a food-fight.

  • apr2563

    They only got to 4 amendments on Tuesday. The open rule sounds good but of course is totally unmanagable. Poor Boehner is at sea in his speakership.

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