Republicans' Chief Complaint About Health Care Bill: Too Many Pages and Words

[Denny]

http://mediamatters.org/research/200910300017

Media echo GOP's fixation on size of House health care reform bill

October 30, 2009 12:55 pm ET — 25 Comments

Following the release of the House Democrats' health care reform bill, the leaders of the House Republican caucus repeatedly stressed the length and size of the bill during an October 29 press conference. Numerous media figures and outlets have followed in lockstep, with the Politico's Jonathan Allen asserting that the bill "comes out to about $2.24 million per word," and Sean Hannity claiming that "if you can't put this down in 30 pages or less, it proves that this is a complicated, you know, bunch of bureaucratic garbage."

House Republicans harp on length of House bill

Boehner issues statement on "Speaker Pelosi's 1,990-Page Government Takeover of Health Care." House Minority Leader John Boehner stated on October 29 that "[t]he fact that it weighs in at nearly 2,000 pages -- more than 620 pages longer than the government takeover of health care Hillary Clinton proposed in 1993 -- is as good an indication as any of just how costly and unsustainable Speaker Pelosi's proposal is."

Barton: "[T]hat's about four reams of paper." Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) stated at the October 29 Republican leadership press conference, "I would say, 1,990 pages -- that's about four reams of paper. I would say that the people getting reamed are the American people."

Pence: "[T]his legislation actually uses the word 'shall' 3,425 times." Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) stated during the press conference: "After weeks of backroom negotiations, now the Democrats have emerged with a bill that isn't a thousand pages; it's 1,990 pages. It isn't just the mandates included in the last bill, but this legislation actually uses the world 'shall' 3,425 times. The American people don't want to see a mountain range of taxes and mandates and debt burdened on this generation and the next."

Blunt: "I've sponsored nine bills ... I don't think any of them are 100 pages long." Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) stated during the press conference that "one of the things we heard, beginning with the 1,056-page stimulus bill, is let's see what's in the bill. Let's talk about what's in the bill. And Republicans have a lot of -- a lot of bills out there. I don't think any of the -- I've sponsored nine bills, nine different bills. I don't think any of them are 100 pages long." He later added, " 'Shall' over 3,000 times sounds like a pretty significant government intervention in health care."

Cantor: Do the people believe this "nearly 2,000-page bill is not going to explode the federal deficit? I don't think so." Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) stated at the press conference, "Do the American people really believe this bill -- this nearly 2,000-page bill -- is not going to explode the federal deficit? I don't think so." As he spoke, Cantor held up the bill.

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[andylev]

The IRS is going to be the main player in obamacare.....i suppose you like that idea

Every word in the bill is worthless babble created by the dregs of society who have
taken over OUR government......the best pelsoi, frank, reid, obama, would be in the real world outside of dirty politics....they would probably be loan sharks

[Woodrow]

The IRS is going to be the main player in obamacare.....i suppose you like that idea

Every word in the bill is worthless babble created by the dregs of society who have
taken over OUR government......the best pelsoi, frank, reid, obama, would be in the real world outside of dirty politics....they would probably be loan sharks

The IRS is going to be the main player in obamacare.....i suppose you like that idea

The more we need to rely on government to provide for us is a good thing according denny.

[Bertrand]

The more we need to rely on government to provide for us is a good thing according denny.

It's a question of quality and degree and not one of generality, obsession, or sloganeering. But simpletons can't discern, putting it mildly in your case.

[Woodrow]

It's a question of quality and degree and not one of generality, obsession, or sloganeering. But simpletons can't discern, putting it mildly in your case.

No, it is a matter of relying on government.

Keep trying bertrand, keep trying. I do enjoy your weak insults

[Tayken]

1,900 pages of legalese, which many representatives will have not read or will have had staff read before voting. Does everybody have a week or two to digest it, or do they have to vote on it in the next day?

[Woodrow]

1,900 pages of legalese, which many representatives will have not read or will have had staff read before voting. Does everybody have a week or two to digest it, or do they have to vote on it in the next day?

And will the new, transparent denocratic party make this avialable for us shmoes to see?

And whatever happened to all of the debate on the bill being on CSPAN?

Yup, words mean something.....

[hardcorpsII]

What a line of bullshit. It isn't the number of words, it is the items stashed in this bill and not being discussed.

Mandatory calorie postings in restaurants

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennt..._machines.html

Protection for ambulance chasers

http://biggovernment.com/2009/10/30/...rs/#more-23042

taxpayer funding of abortion, government inspections of new parents, funding for Acorn,
and on top of it, congress doesn't have to lead by example.

http://www.rightsidenews.com/2009103...re-reform.html

[Woodrow]

What a line of bullshit. It isn't the number of words, it is the items stashed in this bill and not being discussed.

Mandatory calorie postings in restaurants

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennt..._machines.html

Protection for ambulance chasers

http://biggovernment.com/2009/10/30/...rs/#more-23042

taxpayer funding of abortion, government inspections of new parents, funding for Acorn,
and on top of it, congress doesn't have to lead by example.

http://www.rightsidenews.com/2009103...re-reform.html

Apaprently the only difference in this bill and the original is that they cut 245 billion concerning the doctor fix. They are still cutting medicare. And that 245 billion is what brought the bill in below 900 billion.

What a shell game.

The other question that will be raised is the amount of people being covered who are currently uninsured. Please recall the Obama speech in september where he was called a liar. He said that the amount of AMERICAN CITIZENS that will be covered is 30 million with no illegals. Listen to pelosi now. The wording is this bill will cover 36 million PEOPLE in this country.

Who are the extra 6 million?

[andylev]

Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper just to extend medicaid to the uninsured

.....most uninsured...as is with the insured...won't be using their medical coverage during the year anyway......these crackheads make it sound like everyone spends every waking minute in a doctors office.....