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The lunatics have taken over the asylum with House GOP reconciliation bill

October 7, 2015 by AZ BlueMeanie

Tea-Publicans cried “tyranny!” when Democrats used the reconciliation process to pass necessary budget bills over GOP obstruction when they controlled the House and Senate.

But now that Tea-Publicans want to repeal “ObamaCare” and defund Planned Parenthood, and they are in control of the House and Senate, these hypocrites suddenly loves them some reconciliation.

President Obama has promised a veto, and Tea-Publicans have no hope of overriding his veto. The lunatics have taken over the aylum and are acting out in a partisan temper tantrum — a looming government shutdown be damned.

The budget package moving in the House this week is creating a headache for Senate Republicans. House’s Planned Parenthood fight is problem for GOP senators:

The budget package, which under budget reconciliation rules cannot be filibustered in the Senate, will block money for Planned Parenthood and gut ObamaCare.

The problem: It’s unclear whether Senate Republicans can gather the 51 votes needed to approve it.

Three Senate Republicans are on record as opposing an end to federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

The GOP’s ‘Planned’ government shutdown may be averted, but only temporarily

September 25, 2015 by AZ BlueMeanie

Since the TanMan, Weeper of the House John Boehner, announced this morning that he is quitting at the end of October, the GOP’s “Planned” government shutdown may have been averted, but only temporarily.

The mutineers of the GOP House Freedom Caucus just lost any leverage they held over the Tan Man with Rep. Mark Meadows’ resolution to vacate the speakership. Boehner’s response was “Oh yeah! You can’t fire me, I quit!” Boehner is now a freed man who can negotiate with Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats for a “clean” CR spending bill before he surrenders his gavel, because there is nothing they can do to him.

The “clean” CR is only short-term, to December 11. Do you know why this is? Because that is when the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the federal debt ceiling will be reached, CBO: Debt ceiling will be hit by early December, so Tea-Publicans can tie their annual lunacy over the federal debt ceiling together with the next CR to take the country hostage again, and maybe give Americans a government shutdown just in time for Christmas.

Here is the latest developments. On Thursday, the Senate rejected the effort to strip funding from Planned Parenthood as designed:

The Senate on Thursday rejected a short-term spending bill that would defund Planned Parenthood, thwarting the opening move by Republican leaders to avoid a government shutdown on Oct. 1.

Senators voted 47-52 on ending debate on the short-term continuing resolution, well short of the 60 votes needed. The legislation would have funded the government through Dec. 11.

AHCCCS Community Forum in Tucson re: Governor Ducey’s Medicaid ‘reform’ plan (AHCCCS Care) on Wednesday

August 25, 2015 by AZ BlueMeanie

Tucson is scheduled to hold the last Community Forum by AHCCCS for Governor Ducey’s so-called Medicaid (AHCCCS) reform proposal to stigmatize the working poor who are on AHCCCS medical care.

WHEN: Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Casino Del Sol, Ballroom B, 5655 W. Valencia Road, Tucson, AZ.

WHAT: On August 3, 2015, Governor Ducey announced his plan to modernize Arizona’s Medicaid program, i.e., AHCCCS CARE.

Arizona’s DRAFT Section 1115 Demonstration request with more detailed information on the proposal can be found on the link below:

AZ DRAFT Section 1115 Demonstration Program Template (8/17/2015) [PDF]

AZ DRAFT Section 1115 Demonstration Program Narrative (8/18/2015) [PDF]

Community Forum Presentation [PowerPoint]

Comments and questions will be taken at the meeting but can also be submitted:

By Email: PublicInput@azahcccs.gov

By Mail: AHCCCS, Office of Intergovernmental Relations, 801 E. Jefferson Street, Mail Drop 4200, Phoenix, AZ 85034

Let’s just say that the governor’s proposal has not been well received by the public and medical providers at the public forums held to date, nor should it. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports, 1st public hearings on Medicaid changes find wide opposition:

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey wants able-bodied Arizonans on the state’s Medicaid program for the poor to pay into health savings accounts and be charged co-pays for some services, but those proposals and others he’s touting got a tough reception at the first meeting where the public was allowed to weigh in.

Health care providers and patients said the governor’s proposals would likely end up costing the state more money by discouraging people from getting treatment until they are far sicker. And their blunt assessment will be passed on to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which must approve a waiver to allow them to go into force.

Oh brother

June 26, 2015 by AZ BlueMeanie

Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

A little while back Rachel Maddow did a wonderful segment that had me nodding my head in furious agreement and applauding (I seriously clapped my hands at the TV, you guys). She expressed her bewilderment at certain political concepts that aren’t really meaningful when closely examined or helpful when put into practice, but are wildly popular with some segments of the public. Things like term limits (which regular people looooove but aren’t really conducive to effective governance), or nepotism (thinking someone is qualified to hold office simply because his or her relative did). It culminated in her main thesis about Donald Trump (to quote John Oliver, why is he still a thing?) but I’m going to draw from her build-up to laugh at the latest stunt by the GOP majority in the House to get back at the Supreme Court for upholding the ACA subsidies in their decision announced Thursday.

Big win today for ‘ObamaCare’ at SCOTUS, evil GOP bastards’ plans to destroy ‘ObamaCare’ thwarted again

June 25, 2015June 25, 2015 by AZ BlueMeanie

The big decision from the U.S. Supreme Court today is a 6-3 ruling by Chief Justice John Roberts in King v. Burwell, rejecting the fraud perpetrated upon the Court by the Libertarian lawyers who brought this meritless case (more on this point later), and upholding the Affordable Care Act subsidies for those who are participating in the ACA through the federal run exchanges. Here is the opinion in King v. Burwell (.pdf).

Millions of words have been published over the past year in speculation about what the evil GOP bastards in Congress would do in response to a Supreme Court decision in favor of the plaintiffs gutting the ACA subsidies in the the federal run exchanges. All of their evil plans to destroy “ObamaCare” after a favorable court decision now lie in ruins. The GOP’s hostage taking strategy just evaporated into the ether.

Today’s decision is a complete victory for the Obama administration — and for American consumers of health care insurance. See the New York Times today, Measuring Health Insurance Subsidies’ Success (h/t NY Times photo above).