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Thursday, June 28, 2012


House Session

Jun 28, 2012


U.S. House of Representatives
One Minute Speeches (15 per side)
H.Res. __ - Resolution recommending that the House of Representatives find Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, in contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Closed Rule, One Hour of Debate)
H.Res. 706 - Authorizing the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to initiate or intervene in judicial proceedings to enforce certain subpoenas (Closed Rule, 20 Minutes of Debate
Possible Completion of H.R. 5972 - Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (Open Rule)
Postponed Amendment Votes (no more amendments may be offered to the bill):
Rep. Marsha Blackburn Amendment
Rep. Tom McClintock Amendment #13
Rep. James Lankford Amendment
Rep. Jeff Denham Amendment
Rep. Jeff Landry Amendment
5 hours, 59 minutes | 146 Views



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Ryan: The Case for Repeal and Replace Grows Stronger


June 28, 2012
WASHINGTON – Earlier today, the Supreme Court of the United States delivered a disappointing ruling in Florida v. the United States Department of Health and Human Services, affirming that the federal mandate to purchase government-approved health insurance imposes a tax on the American people.
In the response to today’s decision, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin issued the following statement:
“The federal government is tasked with protecting our cherished liberties – not infringing upon them with mandates and intrusions into our lives. Today’s ruling affirms another broken promise by President Obama, who misled the American people in selling the law by insisting that the federal mandate was not a tax.
“Despite today’s disappointing decision on the law’s constitutionality, there is no question that the law remains terrible policy. It is bad news for individuals, whose personal health care decisions are threatened by greater government control. It is bad news for workers, whose paychecks and jobs are threatened by the hundreds of billions of dollars of new tax hikes and crippling uncertainty from the massive law. It is bad news for seniors, whose health security is threatened by the bureaucratic restrictions to access from the law’s changes to Medicare. It is bad news for future generations, whose prospects for greater opportunity are stifled by the trillions of dollars of new debt that will result from this law.
“It is incumbent upon citizens and their elected leaders to clear this partisan roadblock with full repeal, and advance common-sense, patient-centered solutions. We can still ensure universal access to quality, affordable health coverage without a budget-busting federal government power grab. I remain committed to advancing reforms that realign incentives so that individuals and their doctors – not government bureaucrats or insurance company bureaucrats – are the nucleus of our health care system. This requires reforms to equalize the tax treatment of health insurance, invite true choice and competition, and ensure critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid can deliver on their promise in the 21st century. “Today’s decision strengthens the case for repeal and replace. With the right leadership in place, I am confident we can advance real health care solutions for the American people. It is now in the hands of the American people to determine whether this disastrous law will stand.”
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Comments by MSNBC Correspondents on todayd ruling by the SCOTUS








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SCOTUSblog live blog of opinions June 28, 2012

12:51
Matt: 
Pelosi has finished speaking, Speaker John Boehner is expected to hold a press conference at 1:15EST.
12:52
Matt: 
Boehner had released this statement following the decision:

“The president’s health care law is hurting our economy by driving up health costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire. Today’s ruling underscores the urgency of repealing this harmful law in its entirety. What Americans want is a common-sense, step-by-step approach to health care reform that will protect Americans’ access to the care they need, from the doctor they choose, at a lower cost. Republicans stand ready to work with a president who will listen to the people and will not repeat the mistakes that gave our country ObamaCare.” http://www.speaker.gov/press-release/speaker-boehner-statement-supreme-court-s-health-care-ruling
12:55
Matt: 
Allen McDuffee at the Washington Post discusses various think tanks' responses to the decision: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/think-tanked/post/supreme-court-upholds-health-care-law-think-tanks-react-to-obamacare-decision/2012/06/28/gJQAGecC9V_blog.html
12:57
Kali: 
Randy Barnett has this post for the blog: http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/06/a-weird-victory-for-federalism/
12:57
Matt: 
Fox News: Lawmakers react to Supreme Court decision upholding Obama health care law. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/28/lawmakers-react-to-supreme-court-decision-upholding-obama-health-care-law/
12:57
Kali: 
Randy concludes, "Academics are sure to react to today’s decision by declaring the New Federalism dead, but they would be wrong to do so. The Founder’s scheme of limited and enumerated powers has survived to fight another day."
1:01
Matt: 
For those requesting a link to the opinion itself again: http://www2.bloomberglaw.com/public/document/Natl_Federation_of_Independent_Business_v_Sebelius_No_11393_US_Ju. It's 193 pages. Better get started!
1:03
Matt: 
Apparently that link isn't working for everybody, here is another: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/11-393c3a2.pdf
1:04
Matt: 
Tom is on Fox News right now.
1:06
Matt: 
Tom: The decision won't have a big effect on Congress's ability to regulate.
1:08
Matt: 
Tom: The Medicaid part of the decision could be the one to have the most significant effect on clipping Congress's wings. (before he was referring to the Commerce Cause aspect of the decision)
1:09
Matt: 
Tom: It will be hard not just this year but for the next 10 years to criticize the John Roberts Supreme Court and the conservative direction that it is headed in as partisan.
1:11
Matt: 
Tom: It probably gives the public more faith in the result that a conservative justice can find a way to uphold the Democratic president's signature accomplishment.
1:11
Matt: 
Tom: SCOTUSBlog just clipped over 3 million hits!
1:11
Kali: 
Kevin has a short post here at the blog saying that "the medicaid ruling may have broad implications." http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/06/medicare-holding-may-have-broad-implications/
1:14
Matt: 
David Bernstein at Volokh: "Did Roberts originally vote to invalidate the mandate on commerce clause grounds, and to invalidate the Medicaid expansion, and then decide later to accept the tax argument and essentially rewrite the Medicaid expansion.. to preserve it?" www.volokh.com/2012/06/28/was-scalias-dissent-originally-a-majority-opinion/ (Thanks to Henry for the link)
1:16
Matt: 
We are expecting Speaker Boehner's reaction to the decision soon.
1:16
Kali: 
The Times is posting continuous coverage, photos, quotes etc.: http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/live-coverage/scotus-healthcare#sha=0577546ab
1:18
Kali: 
At Bloomberg View, Noah Feldman says the Court took the cautious route by upholding the mandate but sent "a direct message to Democratic politicians who refused to call the mandate a tax: You should have told us the truth in the first place." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-28/roberts-chooses-restraint-over-history-on-obamacare.html
1:21
Kali: 
Feldman also writes, "Roberts knew the consequences of striking down the individual mandate: He would have been attacked by the president and the news media as the chief of the most activist conservative court since the 1930s. For “the Roberts Court” to become a title of infamy would have been a sadly negative culmination of a highly successful career."
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SCOTUSblog live blog of opinions June 28, 2012

12:19
Matt: 
Obama: For those who don't currently have health insurance, "this law provides an array of quality affordable private health insurance plans to choose from."
12:21
Matt: 
Obama: "Today the Supreme Court also upheld the principle People who can afford health insurance should take the responsibility to buy health insurance"
12:22
Matt: 
Obama: "The highest court in the land has now spoken. We will continue to implement this law."
12:22
Kali: 
Reporting on the tone in the Court room durring the announcements, Mike Sacks at Huff Po writes, "Summarizing his delicate decision from the bench, Roberts reminded his listeners that it is "not our job to save the people from the consequences of their political choices." Still, the decision appeared to do just that."
12:24
Matt: 
Also discussing the courtroom as the decision was handed down: Jeff Toobin tweets, "Roberts was red-eyed and unhappy as he read.” https://twitter.com/JeffreyToobin		 



12:26
Matt: 
President Obama has finished. His last line: "Today I am as confidence as ever, that when we look back 5 years from now, or 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, we will be better off because we had the courage to pass this law and keep moving forward."
12:26
Kali: 
At National Review Online Johnathan Adler offers some comfort for those unhappy with the decision, "...as I understand the ruling, the opinion does very little to enlarge the federal government’s power and, in key respects, reinforced federalism limitations on federal power. "
 
12:27
Kali: 
NRP has an "Interactive opinion" linking to key sections: http://www.npr.org/2012/06/28/155907705/interactive-inside-the-health-care-ruling 

12:28
Kali: 
Sorry "NPR"
12:29
Matt: 
Ilya Somin at Volokh Conspiracy: Although the Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate as an exercise of the Tax Power, a majority of the justices also ruled that it is not a legitimate exercise of Congress’ powers under the Commerce Clause. In doing so, they endorsed the plaintiffs’ argument that the individual mandate exceeds the scope of the Commerce power because it does not regulate “economic activity,” but instead targets inactivity. http://www.volokh.com/2012/06/28/supreme-court-majority-endorses-activity-inactivity-distinction/
12:30
Matt: 
(for Obama's statement, I was also typing as he was speaking. Apologies for any typos.)
12:32
Matt: 
Scott Clement at the Washington Post discussing polling data on the popularity of the Affordable Care Act: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/six-charts-to-explain-health-care-polling/2012/06/28/gJQAlBrn8V_blog.html?tid=pm_politics_pop
12:35
Matt: 
They should be flashing on the bottom of the screen, but in case you missed it, don't forget to check out our own coverage of the decisions.
12:35
Matt: 
Lyle on the individual mandate: http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/06/dont-call-it-a-mandate-its-a-tax/
12:36
Matt: 
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is answering questions now.
12:37
Matt: 
Pelosi: "We are here to do a job for the American people. We are here to act on our beliefs."
12:39
Matt: 
To answer a question from Anita S. Jackson: here is a feed of Pelosi: http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN3/
12:40
Matt: 
Question to Pelosi: Chief Justice Roberts called medicaid expansion 'a gun to the head of states.' Why was it designed that way?

Pelosi objected to the characterization. "We wrote this law very carefully."
12:41
Matt: 
Pelosi: "We are not bothered at all with the decision with regard to "Medicaid"
12:42
Matt: 
Disclaimer again: Any quotes from the live statements I'm typing as fast as I can. They may not be exact, and I'm doing my best to minimize typos.
12:44
Matt: 
CNN's Political Unit has quotes from various politicians reacting to the decision: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/28/political-world-reacts-to-supreme-court-ruling-on-health-care/ 
12:49
Matt: 
David Bernstein at Volokh Conspiracy writes, “I’m wondering whether a close reading of the opinions will somehow persuade me that the individual mandate can be a “tax” for constitutional purpose, but “not a tax” for Anti-Injunction Act purposes” http://www.volokh.com/2012/06/28/tax-or-not-a-tax/
 
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3 Charts Explaining How Moms and Dads Balance Work and Family

By Derek Thompson
Jun 26 2012, 1:38 PM ET 26
A debate on career and family See full coverage
Anne-Marie Slaughter's controversial cover story for The Atlantic this month acknowledges a simple point: There is a "family cost" to your career and a "career cost" to your family. Time is finite, even if our ambitions aren't.
This is a trade-offs millions of parents recognize every day. Today, even with women accounting for a nearly equal share of the labor force, it is still the case that working mothers spend much more time with their children than working fathers.
How much more? We can answer that question in graphs, thanks to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly review of working parents from 2008.
(1) More kids means less full-time work -- but only for mom. More than 90% of married men aged 25-54 were employed full-time, with or without kids, BLS found. Meanwhile, for each additional kid, full-time employment for married women declined by about 10 percentage points. Only 24% of mothers with four or more kids works full-time, compared with more than 80% of married fathers.

Screen Shot 2012-06-25 at 6.41.24 PM.png
(2) Older kids means more full-time work -- but only for mom. The next graph looks at mothers, only. It groups employment by the age of the youngest kid. When the youngest child is a teenager, mothers are about 75% more likely to be employed than when the youngest child is under 5 years old.

Screen Shot 2012-06-25 at 6.41.48 PM.png
(3) Why fully employed mothers spend more time taking care of their kids than fully employed dads.  My favorite graph from the BLS looks at how fully-employed mothers and fully-employed fathers spend time with their young children. The biggest point is that these mothers spend more time than fathers providing primary childcare -- 1.8 hours to 1.1 hours. While both spend similar hours reading, playing, and talking with children (~ 24 minutes), the difference is starkest in the area of "physical care" (i.e.: feeding or bathing children) and shuttling kids between their various activities. In other words, fully employed moms still bear most of the driving, washing, and feeding responsibilities, even if fathers spend roughly equal time playing with and reading to their kids.

Screen Shot 2012-06-25 at 11.51.16 PM.png

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Members of Congress and their statements on SCOTUS decision on ACA




United States Senator Mike Lee
Today's decision by the Supreme Court is a hollow and temporary victory for the Administration.
Senator Mike Lee Reacts to the Supreme Court's Healthcare Decision
www.youtube.com
Watch Senator Mike Lee's initial reaction the the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the individual mandate.
· · · about a minute ago ·
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Mary Landrieu
The Supreme Court’s ruling today confirms what many people of goodwill believed all along: Congress’ historic efforts to provide a more affordable and equitable system of health care for our nation is within its constitutional prerogatives. I am proud of my work to make this law a reality. Its benefits are clear: it provides health security to millions of middle class Americans, reduces the deficit and improves health outcomes for our entire population.
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