Somehow I think this would be getting more news if Max Baucus were a Republican. During “a constituents meeting in the small Montana town of Libby, as reported by the Flathead Beacon, a local newspaper”, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus was asked by a constituent, Judy Matott if he had “read the health care bill before it was passed and if not, that is the most despicable, irresponsible thing.”
“I don’t think you want me to waste my time to read every page of the health care bill. You know why? It’s statutory language,” Baucus said. “We hire experts.”
We hire experts?!?!? Experts to read the legislation that you vote on? I thought in this nation we elected legislators to craft, draft, consider and enact legislation.
Here we’ve got a citizen of a small-town showing a better sense of an elected official’s responsibility than a 30-year veteran of the United States Senate.
Kind of gets at the real divide emerging in America. And the arrogance of those who want to enact laws and otherwise effect policies impacting the Judy Matotts of this world.
FROM THE COMMENTS: Sonicfrog tells us that he posted on this first — and indeed he did, offering, “I for one would love to see who the ‘experts’ were that crafted this bill. Can we see that please? You know, transparency and all that?” He’s got a point. I mean, since they drafted the laws which will soon govern the health care system for all Americans, shouldn’t they come forward to townhall meetings like that Mr. Baucus held, take questions from citizens (who have to live under their decrees) and put themselves up for election at regular intervals?
Hey, no fair… I posted first!
I’m really curious to find out who the “experts” were, who actually wrote this thing.
It’s even worse than what you describe.
Most of the statutory language in the bill hands off the responsibility for writing the actual implementation language and regulations to bureaucrats in the HHS. Just to use an example, the law requires insurers to spend 80% of their revenues providing “health care services,” but doesn’t define what “health care services” actually are. It will be up to bureaucrats in HHS to decide what sorts of activities are “health care services” and which do not count.
This is how we get 1200-page pieces of legislation and 36,000-page tax codes. If they had to actually read it with some level of comprehension, legislation would be written more clearly and concisely…and be a lot shorter. While ideally ALL members of both houses should have read every piece they vote on…I think it would be reasonable that it be required that if you sponsor a bill, you have to sign-off that you’ve actually read it. Major-amendment sponsors should also have to sign-off that they’ve reviewed and approved the language of their own amendment before the final vote…especially those tack-on amendments having nothing to do with the original bill’s purpose.
Most importantly. the respective chairs of the Joint Reconciliation committees of the House and Senate should stand-behind every page of the final texts…
Senator Max Baucus needs to be fired ASAP; he too is an arrogant piece of work, corrupted by his own power due to his too many years in DC. Baucus cooked his own goose with these very words–nevermind, most people want ObamaCare repealed as well.
The reason Max Baucus believes it would have been a waste of time to read the healthcare “reform” bill before passing it is because he KNOWS it has nothing to do with improving the US healthcare system. He thinks ordinary Americans are so stupid that we are unaware of him ADMITTING on the Senate floor within HOURS of it being passed that the objective of the law is the redistribution of American wealth!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_tizRBjcc0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
B
Baucus is a disgrace. He needs to be horsewhipped and then put in a cage with an angry, aggressive bird of prey with talons the size of machetes.
So, are we beginning to wonder how the stimulus package and Obamacare came out of the desk drawer with no hearings, no expert panels, no give and take?
Does Baucus or any other democrat have the Moxie to address how, when and where his input was merged into either the stimulus package or Obamacare? Of course not. They were all just useful idiots at voting time.
The term “fiduciary misconduct” keeps coming up in my mind.
It’s like signing a mortgage you don’t understand… except that the mortgage amount has ten or more zeros at the end, indentures millions who’ve yet to be born, and wrecks a nation.
What a turd.
New Gay Patriot troll steve wil post something obnoxious and inane in 3… 2… 1….
I would be interested to know if anyone asked Senator Baucus what he had to do that was more important than reading this legislation.
Fundraise….. Duh!