UPDATED: John Tanner undecided on House health care bill vote this weekend

For those readers that haven’t heard how John Tanner or other representatives voted on the unconstitutional health care bill you can see all the votes here. John Tanner did the right thing and voted against the bill.

Here’s a letter from John Tanner’s office after calling him on health care. See what you think about his response. I know what I think.

Dear Mr. Davis:

 

Thank you for contacting our office to share your concerns with H. R. 3962, the health care reform proposal considered in the House. I have met with or heard from thousands of Tennesseans, who, like you, opposed the current legislation and others who supported it.

I continue to believe that reform of our country’s health care delivery system is needed and that all Americans should have access to affordable, quality health care. However, after careful review of the current legislation and the analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, 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. Therefore, I was unable to support H. R. 3962.

There are many good things in this bill. We should continue our health insurance reform efforts to ensure that no one can be denied health coverage because of a pre-exiting condition and to end the insurance companies’ ability to cancel coverage when someone becomes ill. And, we simply must slow the upward curve of health care costs.

Despite my vote in opposition, H. R. 3962 passed the House by a vote of 220 to 215. The Senate is expected to consider a version of health care reform legislation in the next several weeks. Should the Senate pass its version, a House/Senate conference committee will be required to work out the differences in the two versions. Once a conference agreement has been reached, the House and Senate both will have to vote on that compromise. I plan to continue to work hard to produce a better and more cost-efficient bill that we can all support.

Again, thank you for sharing your views with me. Please continue to contact me on issues of concern to you in the future.

Sincerely,

John Tanner, M.C.

Tennessee Congressman Tanner undecided on House health care bill vote this weekend

The House will begin debate on the 2000+ page, $2.4 Trillion health care bill on Friday… and plans to vote on the bill Saturday evening. (11-07-09)

According to both the Washington D.C. and Jackson, TN offices of Congressman John Tanner, Mr. Tanner is currently “reading and reviewing the bill” and has not made a decision as to how he will vote on Saturday.(Give John Tanner a call and help him make that decision to vote against this bill or vote for it and take a chance on losing his seat in the next election.)

Rep. Tanner voted against the original bill in the Ways and Means Committee. Please call and email the Congressman and encourage him to do the same this weekend!

Congressman Tanner’s office: (202) 225-4714

You can send an email from the form at https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

GOP members offer amendment to force Congress to participate in public option

Five House Republicans hope to add to Democrats’ healthcare reform bill an amendment that would automatically enroll members of Congress in the public option program.

The effort, spearheaded by Reps. John Fleming (La.), Joe Wilson (S.C.), Wally Herger (Calif.), Phil Gingrey (Ga.) and Steve Scalise (La.), would bar lawmakers from participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which they currently use for health insurance. Instead, members would have to rely on the Health Insurance Exchange and the public option plan House Democrats are proposing in their latest healthcare reform effort.

“If Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi [D-Calif.] and her Democratic counterparts truly believe that their government insurance option is the best way forward for healthcare in the United States, then they should be fully supportive of amending the bill to ensure that every single member of Congress, both in the House and Senate, is enrolled in it,” explained Rep. Gingrey, who is leading the new campaign.

thehill.com