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KELO in South Dakota reports that Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) will vote against the health care bill.
Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin says she will oppose the health care reform bill expected to be considered this weekend in the House.
The South Dakota Democrat says the plan falls short of her goals for health care reform and could threaten existing access to health care for many South Dakotans. Herseth Sandlin says she’s also concerned it doesn’t do enough to bring down the federal deficit and could affect future health care for seniors.
Mike McMahon is also a no.
This legislation contains laudable reforms which I support; it allows individuals to keep coverage when they leave a job and young people to remain covered under their parents’ plan, and bans discrimination based on pre-existing conditions. However, I believe that the net negatives of this bill outweigh the positive effects for Staten Island and Brooklyn residents and I will be voting no when the House considers the legislation.
That would be 22 members of the Democratic caucus confirmed NO on the bill.
In other news, Bob Etheridge appears to be a yes, at least as of yesterday. So I have 184 confirmed yes, 22 confirmed no, with 52 undecided, of which 34 would be needed for the bill to pass.
UPDATE: Eric Massa is also a no.
“At the highest level this bill will enshrine in law the monopolistic powers of the private health insurance industry,” Massa said in a telephone news conference this morning. “There’s no other way to look at it.”
Massa said that the bill “fails to address the fundamental question before the American people, and that is, how do you control the costs of health care?”
Speaking in strong, deliberate tones, Massa said that the bill also does not address ways to incorporate medical malpractice reform or ways to reduce or eliminate waste and fraud. “Since it doesn’t address those cost factors, I do not understand how it will help the American people.” He also reiterated his concerns over the constitutionality of a mandate for people to purchase insurance.
Massa continues to use an “I’m for single payer” construction so he doesn’t have to take a vote in a tough district.
We’re up to 23. That same link lists Dan Maffei (D-NY) as undecided.
UPDATE II: From Raul Grijalva’s office:
The Congressman intends to vote for the rule and the bill, pending final immigration language.
That’s 185 in favor.
UPDATE III: Jim Matheson (D-UT) is a no.
Washington, D.C.—Congressman Jim Matheson said today it is critical that health care reform cover the uninsured while also ensuring that the health care system is secure, stable and affordable. Because the legislation pending in the House fails to accomplish those goals, Matheson said he will vote against HR 3962 when it comes to the floor.
“I am convinced that passing health care reform is a moral and a fiscal necessity. I believe that everyone in this country should have access to quality, affordable health care. On the practical side, we will never balance our federal budget and reduce our dangerous levels of debt without health care reform,” said Matheson.
I’m counting 24 no votes.
UPDATE: Jack Murtha supports. So does Mark Schauer.
UPDATE: John Tanner is a no.
“After careful review of the current legislation pending in the House and the Congressional Budget Office’s analysis, I believe the bill will not help control the long-term costs of health care and puts in place an infrastructure that is not fiscally sustainable over time. I am unable to support this legislation in its present form.
UPDATE: Harry Teague is a no. John Boccieri has been downgraded back to a maybe. So I count 25 no votes.
UPDATE: Ohio Congressman Charlie Wilson announces his support.
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Yeah !!!!!!!!! Maybe this piece of shit- as it is currently written- will be defeated.
More likely, it will be like the fucking financial ‘bailout’ ; defeated first time around but then Obama jumps in ,appealing to party loyalty instead of whats right for citizens, and it passes the second go round.
Disgusting.
Sorry, that is just plain wrong. I find that a total insult to Eric Massa’s integrity. Massa is a SP supporter, although from things he’s said my impression is that he would have supported the bill if it weren’t so stinking bad.
What’s funny(in a perverse way) is that McMahon was playing gavel wielder for a day(like Tauscher used to do a lot).
Please read this great LTE re TN Rep Jim Cooper, then call his office: http://bit.ly/1SPsBm
Thank you. Eric is a stand up guy and speaks truth, always. I happen to agree with his reasons and would rather see nothing pass than a piece ‘o shit bill.
you should probably take back what you said about eric massa.
he ran against the republican incumbent randy kuhl in 2006 [lost] and again in 2008 [won] in that “tough” district. in oct 2008, mere weeks before the election, in a debate with kuhl, massa stated his support not only for single payer, but also for rolling back the bush tax cuts.
massa only joined up with other supporters of hcan and obamacare after he was elected.
what valley girl said. massa would probably have supported hr 3200 if it had been a better bill.
People, this is not my assessment. Talk to anyone who does politics in New York State and they will tell you the same thing. He didn’t want to take a tough vote on the climate bill and so he said it wasn’t good enough. He didn’t want to take a tough vote on the health care bill so he says it’s not good enough. It’s interesting how the sum total of his tough votes end up being the exact same ones that Randy Kuhl would take.
anyone in new york state politics? can you name names? or is this another case of ‘everyone knows’? this construction has become a staple in talking about politics so i’m not buying it if you’re quoting unnamed sources.
and wasn’t the climate bill really sucky too? at least for liberals of the old school?
on the campaign trail he comes out in support of single payer and rolling back the bush tax cuts. then he gets elected. looks to me like he’s doing what the voters in his district elected him for.
Here’s Eric Massa voting against cramdown to help stop foreclosures: http://www.openleft.com/diary/12062/
I’m sure that didn’t go far enough either.
Eric Massa is a pretty good lawmaker but he uses this trick all the time and after a while it loses its resonance
ah, i’d forgotten that one.
but he uses this trick all the time and after a while it loses its resonance
if it’s a trick, then yes, it would lose its resonance, as you say.
otoh, there were changes, especially in the section on cramdown, between the original bill and the final bill.
if the changes made the final bill more homeowner-friendly, then yes, boo hiss to massa. if the changes made the bill less homeowner-friendly, then kudos to massa instead. i confess to not knowing enough about the subject to know which version of the bill was the best, nor was i paying enough attention to this at the time.