TN-9 Congressman Steve Cohen took to the floor of the House of Representatives on October 1, 2013 to attack Republicans on the first day of the government shutdown.
I had a Facebook friend post his rant with the caption of "Don't you wish you had a Congressman like mine."
My response to him was. He is my congressman and I'm ashamed of him.
Here is Steve Cohen's enlightening rant. Unfortunately, he gets several things wrong.
First of all, I'm more worried about my children and grandchildren's healthcare and economic future than I am about some tourists wanting to see the Statue of Liberty.
Second of all, repeating the title "affordable care act" doesn't make it really affordable. ObamaCare was rammed thru a Democrat Congress w/o a single Republican vote and will increase the deficit by Trillions according to the GAO ~that's the Government Accounting Office~. Whatever happened to Obama's promise that he would not sign a plan that would increase the deficit by one dime? Know what was truly bipartisan? The votes to defund and repeal it.
Third, slavery was the law of the land and upheld by the Supreme Courts also. Does the name Dred Scott ring any bells? Good thing Republicans didn't just throw up their hands and go along with that law.
Fourth, Social Security and Medicare are broke.
Fifth, where is the budget? There wouldn't be this “crisis” if the Democrat Senate had done their Constitutionally mandated job and passed a budget. The federal government hasn't had a budget for the entire Obama administration.
Sixth; it isn't the federal government role to fund assistance programs for the poor. “The Powers delegated to the federal government are few and defined…war, peace negotiations, and foreign commerce.” James Madison. Here is a quick primer on what the proper role of the Federal government according to those that wrote it. Plus there wouldn't be as many Americans needing assistance if we had a growing economy.
How ironic is it that Cohen is suddenly a hawk on the debt. Since he has been in Congress, the federal deficit has increased by over $6.5 Trillion. Not Billion, but Trillion. During the Bush administration, the Republicans added $1.6 Trillion in 6 years. In the last two years of Bush's administration, when the Democrats ~which include Steve Cohen~ took control of Congress, they added $1.8 Trillion. That's right; in two years, the Democrats increased the federal debt more than 6 years of Republicans. And that was just the beginning. There has been Trillion $$ deficits yearly since then. His statement against repealing the medical device tax shows Cohen’s mindset. Repealing the medical device tax would “cost the government $30 Billion.” All money belongs to the government; they just allow us to keep some of it.
And about those “death panels;” you mean the ones that Paul Krugman admits to here and then there’s Howard Dean admitting that there are death panels here.
Exactly what is the Independent Advisory Board, Mr. Cohen. You voted for the bill; please explain to us what that panel is.
Also Cohen claims that it’s not a government takeover, but insurance. Tell me, Mr. Cohen, what is it when the government has control over what a doctor gets paid, what medicines and procedures get paid for; when government mandates that one purchases it and also what it has to include and so on? ObamaCare has over 20,000 ~and counting~ pages of regulations. That’s not insurance, that’s control. He also claims that ObamaCare is a Republican idea, citing RomneyCare as an example. Really? What is he smoking? Some of that weed that he wants to legalize, but I digress. First of all, RomneyCare was 70 pages; ObamaCare is 2,074 pages. RomneyCare contained no new taxes. ObamaCare has over $500 Billion in new taxes, taxes people who don’t buy insurance and cuts over $700 Billion from Medicare. RomneyCare is on the state level, ObamaCare is on the federal level and as I've already explained, the powers delegated to the federal government are war, peace negotiations and foreign commerce. Which one of those includes mandating buying insurance?
Last, but not least, Cohen opines that Congress and their staff have to live under the exchanges ~and that it is unfortunate~ because according to him, they are no longer subsidized. Maybe Cohen missed the memo that Congress and their staff will get 75% of their premiums subsidized. Poor things; they make 6 figures and they won’t be able to afford ObamaCare. I thought that Cohen said this was the “Affordable Care Act.” So affordable that even those that make 6 figures can’t afford it. And that is different from us “regular” Americans. Under ObamaCare exchanges, Americans whose employers provide healthcare will not qualify for subsidies.
Bottom line; Steve Cohen proves again that he has no idea what he’s talking about. He’s been on the public dole since he was in his 20’s. It’s time he retires and lives under the laws that he’s passed for the rest of us to live under.
Update: After lapdog Cohen steps to the microphone to bemoan that because of the government shutdown, there will be no new patients at the NIH, Harry Reid asks, Why would we want to do that?" referring to Dana Bash's question about the Republican's plan to fund the NIH if it would help one kid with cancer.
I think Mr. Reid needs a refresher course in civics. It is the Constitutional job of the Congress to fund government every year. It's called a budget. I'm sure you remember what that is even though you haven't passed one.
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