Part 1: Healthcare Bills Submitted by House and Senate Republicans

This is Part 1 in a series taking a look at the Healthcare bills submitted by Republicans in the House and Senate in this session that are languishing in Committee with no action.

We decided to start with the House after the Joint Session speech by President Obama since Cong Wilson has been proven right even though he ignored decorum. Turns out that the Democrats defeated two amendments that would have kept illegals from getting health insurance with the taxpayers footing the bill. Pelosi wanting to admonish Wilson on the floor of the House has to be a bad joke since she has allowed Rangel to skate. Lying to IRS and the House by Rangel seems to us to be a much more serious offense then telling the President he lied when it was the truth. Guess Pelosi and the Democrats forget about their actions during President Bush's State of the Union. Once more hypocricy by Pelosi and her followers rules the day.

The Democrat leadership in the House led by Speaker Pelosi have ignored all the Health Care bills submitted by Republicans and then 'lie' they are the "Party of NO" which is not true. Pelosi and her folowers from the Progressive and Black caucuses are not listening to the Blue Dog Democrats as well. Their socialist group continues to forge ahead with their attempted takeover of healthcare by the Government. No wonder Obama loves Pelosi, the House dictator.

Below are the list of bill numbers submitted by Republicans in the House:

H.R. 77; H.R. 109; H.R. 198; H.R. 270; H.R. 321; H.R. 464; H.R. 502; H.R. 544; H.R. 917; H.R. 1086; H.R. 1118; H.R. 1441; H.R. 1458; H.R. 1468; H.R. 1658; H.R. 1891; H.R. 2520; H.R. 2607; H.R. 2692; H.R. 2784; H.R. 2785; H.R. 2786; H.R. 2787; H.R. 3141; H.R. 3217; H.R. 3218; H.R. 3356; H.R. 3372; H.R. 3400; H.R. 3438; H.R. 3454; and H.R. 3478

We decided this Sunday morning to take a look at the status of House Bills 77-1118 and to get a feel for what the bills were about. It was shocking to discover that not one of those bills had moved in Committee when several are bi-partisan. Looks to us like Pelosi/Obama/Reid do not want Americans to know about the Republican bills. The bills submitted are short and to the point not 1,000 pages in length.

We have researched the first 11 bills and provide a synopsis for each bill from the Thomas Library of Congress site. Read the synopsis and then ask yourself why the Democrats led by Pelosi are not acting on these bills. Is it because they prefer a 1,000+ page bill so earmarks can be hidden in the bill? How much of their 1,000+ page bill was written by lobbyist? We have a lot of questions but we hear crickets chirping on the answers.

H.R.77 Title: To provide for a credit for certain health care benefits in determining the minimum wage. Sponsor: Rep Issa, Darrell E. [CA-49] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None) Latest Major Action: 3/16/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

H.R.109 Title: To provide for the offering of Health Benefit Plans to individuals, to increase funding for State high risk health insurance pools, and to promote best practice protocols for State high risk pools. Sponsor: Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (1) Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.R.198 Title: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for amounts paid for health insurance and prescription drug costs of individuals. Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None) Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.270 Title: To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for continuity of TRICARE Standard coverage for certain members of the Retired Reserve. Sponsor: Rep Latta, Robert E. [OH-5] (introduced 1/7/2009) Cosponsors (67) (bi-partisan)Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.321 Title: To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to expand coverage options under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) through premium assistance. Sponsor: Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (8) Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R.464 Title: To provide for a 5-year SCHIP reauthorization for coverage of low-income children, an expansion of child health care insurance coverage through tax fairness, and a health care Federalism initiative, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Price, Tom [GA-6] (introduced 1/13/2009) Cosponsors (27) Latest Major Action: 1/13/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R.502 Title: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve health care choice by providing for the tax deductibility of medical expenses by individuals. Sponsor: Rep Bachmann, Michele [MN-6] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (27) Latest Major Action: 1/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.544 Title: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow amounts in a health flexible spending arrangement that are unused during a plan year to be carried over to subsequent plan years or deposited into certain health or retirement plans. Sponsor: Rep Royce, Edward R. [CA-40] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (1) Latest Major Action: 1/14/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.917 Title: To increase the health benefits of dependents of members of the Armed Forces who die because of a combat-related injury. Sponsor: Rep Guthrie, Brett [KY-2] (introduced 2/9/2009) Cosponsors (1) Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1086 Title: To improve patient access to health care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the health care delivery system. Sponsor: Rep Gingrey, Phil [GA-11] (introduced 2/13/2009) Cosponsors (51) Related Bills: H.R.2975 Latest Major Action: 2/13/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R.1118 Title: To amend the Social Security Act to improve choices available to Medicare eligible seniors by permitting them to elect (instead of regular Medicare benefits) to receive a voucher for a health savings account, for premiums for a high deductible health insurance plan, or both and by suspending Medicare late enrollment penalties between ages 65 and 70. Sponsor: Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] (introduced 2/23/2009) Cosponsors (25) Latest Major Action: 2/23/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

We understand why the Democrats who are in the hip pockets of trial attorneys might not like H.R. 1086, but why should doctors have to perform unnecessary tests to protect themselves from medical malpractice lawsuits.

On the other hand, we do not understand why H. R. 270 and 917 that affect our military are not being heard in committee or why AARP is not demanding action on H.R. 1118. That makes no sense to us at all. Is it because the Progressive Caucus runs the House?

Tomorrow we will take a look at the next 11 bills submitted by the Republicans in the House and then follow-on with a look at Senate Republican bills on healthcare.