After heated hearing, bill to block ‘Obamacare’ in Minnesota passes House committee
Wednesday, March 09, 2011 at 1:15 pm
- 20 Comments
After a heated discussion Tuesday evening, the House Health Reform Committee passed a bill along party lines that would halt implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act in Minnesota until the constitutionality of the law is considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. The committee meeting grew contentious as Republicans’ repeated use of the term “Obamacare” led Democrats to consider dubbing the eight-year Iraqi war the “Bush wars,” and DFLers trying to preserve key aspects of the act including a ban on rejecting patients — especially children — who have preexisting health conditions for coverage. Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, the bill’s author, said that voting against his bill amounted to rejecting the “Creator.”
HF468 states that state funds cannot be used to implement provisions of the Affordable Care Act until the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it constitutional. In his statement in support of the bill, Gruenhagen said, “I realize people of good will can disagree on this.”
The Glencoe Republican spoke of natural law as being derived from a creator.
“Your vote today will indicate whether you primarily hold to the belief in a creator and the absolutes rooted in natural law which are found in the Declaration of Independence and preamble to the Constitution, or you believe in sociological law, which rejects a creator and replaces the creator with judges who become our king and nobility accountable only to themselves,” he said.
Democrats on the committee objected to the way the bill was discussed and how the committee meeting was handled.
Rep. Rena Moran of St. Paul said she would prefer the committee used the proper name for the bill and not “Obamacare,” a neologism crafted by Republicans.
“It would be really nice if you would use the proper term the Affordable Care Act,” she said. “I need to hear that.”
Rep. Tina Liebling of Rochester also objected to the use of the term. “It’s offensive in the way its used, and it’s used in a very partisan way,” Liebling said.
The chair of the committee, Republican Rep. Steve Gottwalt of St. Cloud, interrupted Liebling and said major media outlets use the term, so he would allow it. “I respect people’s sensibilities, but I think there is enough common usage in society right now around this to say that either term can be used.”
Liebling responded, “Mr. Chair, I think I had the floor. I’m sorry, but it’s quite unusual to be interrupted in the middle of a statement. I was about to end my statement by simply saying that from now on I think I will now refer to the Iraqi war as ‘the Bush war’ and say that over and over.”
“Rep. Liebling you’re out of order,” Gottwalt said. “That is so off-topic.”
That exchange was similar to one in Montana last month. A Republican legislator said he would only use the term “Obamacare” when referring to the Affordable Care Act, and a Democrat objected by saying, “We don’t call the Iraqi war ‘Bush’s War,’ and by that same reasoning, I don’t think it’s appropriate to call this ‘Obamacare.’”
Later in the meeting, Liebling made it clear she wasn’t finished with that line.
She mentioned that many testifiers noted the cost of the Affordable Care Act. “The Iraq war has caused the state of Minnesota $18 billion,” she said, prompting Gottwalt to declare her out of order.
“Rep. Liebling, I’m asking you to cease,” he said.
Liebling shot back, “I resent being censored. I have First Amendment Rights, and I have an election certificate. I think it’s entirely on topic,” she said, noting that many testifiers and committee members have cited the federal deficit in criticizing the Affordable Care Act.
Democrats had offered a series of amendments to Gruenhagen’s bill to retain certain parts of the Affordable Care Act, including allowing children under age 26 to remain on their parents’ health insurance plans, maintaining the act’s ban on dropping coverage for children who have preexisting medical conditions and maintaining tax breaks for small businesses.
Each amendment failed along party lines, and Gruenhagen’s bill passed the committee.
Before it passed, however, one committee member asked testifier Kim Crockett of the Minnesota Free Market Institute what would happen if the Supreme Court never ruled on the Affordable Care Act.
DFL Rep. Patti Fritz asked, “Would that bar Minnesota from forever participating in the Affordable Care Act?”
“You are right, they could decline to hear the case, though it’s unlikely,” she said. “Minnesota would be left with a legal quandary.”
Follow Andy Birkey on Twitter20 Comments
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 1:19 pm
Nothing promotes Lent like denying healthcare to the poor and sick. Nice job Republicans.
Praise Jebus, God hates children with pre-existing conditions, Amen.
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 1:36 pm
These people are so nutty fanatical… they exceed to definition of a civil society. The GOP desire to do harm is sociopathic and when they throw religion into it, their demagoguery exceeds all bounds. Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous people… they’ve poured gas on the people are are ready to light a match.
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 1:48 pm
How ironic that they would make these wacho statements and seek to do such incredible harm on Ash Wednesday. They certainly seek to overturn all the teachings of the church and their gospel with such incredible harm to the poor and less fortunate among us. What incredible hypocrisy. I’ve attended many churches: Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Jewish Synagogue in the last year and none of them seek to do harm to the poor like the GOP is suggesting here. Sure, I am completely in favor of the constitution and the importance it places on separation of church and state but they DEFY and DEFILE their own religions with these incredibly brutal and ugly policies that seek to do harm to fellow citizen’s.
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 1:55 pm
Tell me, please. Why does the Tea Party and their Republican lackeys waste valuable time on nonsense? Nonsense that won’t pass the Senate, or survive the Governor’s veto?
Hopefully the children will finish their tantrum, and we can get about the business of actually doing something for Minnesota.
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 2:05 pm
There was a time when I actually thought some of these GOPers had a few good points. Nope. No more. All of ‘em are just plain NUTS!
Lord oh Lord, am I happy we have Dayton!
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 2:29 pm
The crazy train has made a pit stop in MN. I just can’t even wrap my head around all this nonsense.
Kevin- there isn’t a day that goes by that I am not thankful Dayton won. hate to think how much more things would stink if he didn’t.
Now, let us get off our duffs next election and vote these nutcases out.
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 2:35 pm
From now on, I only refer to the MN GOPers as the Minnesota Taliban and I will use this in my message to each of the 4 authors of this bill. Until they can be voted out, I sincerely urge everyone to email the crap out of them.
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 3:34 pm
I can understand why Liebling was pissed. It is very rude to interupt the person who has the floor. The Bush wars are not off topic as they are increasing the deficit and taking lives uneccesarily.
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 3:41 pm
I just finished my emails to the above Taliban authors of this bill. I feel better now, but this whole business still really disgusts me.
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 6:51 pm
Kevin or anyone else here- do you happen to know who authors the bill to push for private school vouchers? Not finding anything regarding it on my searches.
Thanks!
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 7:16 pm
google the Minnesota house health reform committee
you should find what your looking for
there is minutes for each meeting
but i believe it was a partisan vote and it list all the members
i will guarantee they had pressure from bachman
Comment posted March 9, 2011 @ 7:55 pm
Obama is not a brown socialist who tells rich people to give up their money & gives free health care to everyone… you’re thinking of Jesus.
Comment posted March 10, 2011 @ 5:02 am
Angie
You can also go to the following link and enter keywords to search for a bill.
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/revisor/pages/search_status/status_search.php?body=House
Comment posted March 10, 2011 @ 7:46 am
The Phoney modern-day CHRISTIANS have shown thier true colors.No concern for the poor,uninsured citizen,But get them talking about Tax-Cuts for millionares,War and destruction they get excited and can’t control themselves.
Comment posted March 10, 2011 @ 10:29 am
vetinwbl you sure hit the nail on the head with that post PERFECT
Comment posted March 10, 2011 @ 10:34 am
Liebling calls it the Bush Wars..
It ain’t. It is Bush’s Wars, Obama’s Wars, Clinton’s Wars, the Republican’s Wars, the Democrats Wars.
Oh and Dennis Kucinich opposed Obamacare too. Just as I do. Kucinich explained, in detail why Obamacare was worse than nothing and the specifics as to why he was opposed to it. Or at least he did right before he took an “airplane ride” in Airforce One with president Barack Oily-Bomber. Then he had a sudden transformation. A Road To Damascus moment where the scales fell from his eyes.. Praise Jebus.
I have started to come to grip with some things.
Americans are cowards. They are afraid of people with ideas. That is why they refuse to even participate in debates and discussions, an open exchange of the Free Market of Ideas. The most craven of all in this is the American “progressive.”
This is not denial we are dealing with, it is simple, flat out cowardice.
You all deserve this, the best corporate pseudo-democracy that money can buy. The innocent victims of your governments policies do not.
Praise Jebus.
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Comment posted March 10, 2011 @ 9:18 pm
The bill is illegal. Passed law is valid until stayed or overruled in the courts. There is no waiting to implement or failing to follow any law without court action against it. What a waste of time on really badly conceived legislation, something that wouldn’t get past the state courts, much less survive the federal ones.
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