Sebelius nomination debate liveblog
I'm listening to the debate over Kathleen Sebelius on C-Span. So far...
Some Democrat guy - Kathleen Sebelius is well qualified and will do a fantastic job.
Another Democrat - Yes, Kathleen Sebelius rocks.
Coburn (R-OK) - Kathleen Sebelius is a lovely lady and obviously qualified, but OMG SHE THINKS IT'S JUST FINE TO PARSHUL BIRTH ABORSHUN HEALTHY VIABLE 36 WEEK FETUSES FOR FUN!!! UNACCEPTABLE!!!! (Never mind that this would be illegal in Kansas.)
Bennett (R-UT) - Kathleen Sebelius is unqualified because she supports government-run health care!! (Never mind that ANY Obama nominee would support government-run health care.) AND she got some campaign money from a PARSHUL BIRTH ABORSHUN DOCTOR!!!!! (Actually, Dr. Tiller performs labor induction abortions.)
Gillibrand (D-NY) - Yay Sojourner Truth! And it's Equal Pay Day!
Gregg (R-NH) - OH NOES Obama's budget is STEALING FROM OUR KIDS!!! (But Bush's wasn't?) SCREW HEALTH CARE REFORM!! We must cut our debt and STOP EUROPEANIZING OUR COUNTRY!!! (Never mind that more European-style government control of health care would cut costs.) RECONCILIATION BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWW!!!
Merkley (D-OR) - Introducing two bills to deal with predatory mortgage practices.
Bunning (R-KY) - (Here comes the crazy.) Life begins at conception! Every life is precious! Abortion kills defenseless babies! Babies have the right to LIVE!! Kathleen Sebelius is pro-choice so I can't vote for her!! She has VETOED ANTI-CHOICE BILLS!!! She knows Dr. Tiller!! He kills babies that have the WILL TO LIVE!!! POOR BABIES!!! DIAL-UHDIALATION AND EXTRACTAMACATION ABORSHUN is done by RIPPING BABIES UP WITH SHARP FORCEPS!!! THAT IS DISGUSTING!! Dr. Tiller donated money to Governor Sebelius!! I know Obama will never appoint an anti-choicer to HHS, but NO NOT SEBELIUS!!! Also her decades of experience is not enough!!!
Nelson (D-FL) - Kathleen Sebelius is my close personal friend. She's was insurance commissioner in Kansas after she was in the Kansas legislature. She showed the insurance industry who's boss! She stood up for consumer rights, and cracked the whip at those insurance assholes! Kathleen Sebelius is uniquely qualified for HHS!
And now, a vote on S. 386, the Financial Fraud Bill expanding fraud laws on financial transactions. AYES: 92, NAYS: 4
BREAKING NEWS on screen: Arlen Specter (R-PA) to switch from R to D!!! WAAAT???
Burris (D-IL) - It's Equal Pay Day! It takes women 1 year + 4 months to earn what a man makes in 1 year, and this is unacceptable. Support the Paycheck Fairness Act!
Brown (D-OH) - Today is Worker's Memorial Day, a day to honor workers who have died on the job or due to their jobs. Workers need better representation at OSHA. Support unions!
RECESS until 2:15(ET)!
Shaheen (D-NH) - With the swine flu, we need Gov. Sebelius NOW. Our citizens need and deserve a gov't doing everything it can to respond to this crisis. Gov. Sebelius is a common sense leader who understands health care. I commend her for her success in Kansas in working across the aisle, making health care more affordable, and providing health care to more kids. She will do the same for all Americans.
Durbin (D-IL) - Yes, we need an HHS Secretary to deal with the swine flu! The economic crisis has made health care reform more important. This is the number one concern of my constituents in Illinois. Gov. Sebelius has shown her ability to overcome partisan politics and get things done. Before she was governor, she was KS insurance commissioner from 1994-2002, and refused insurance company donations. This experience will help her do her job. As governor, she has made investments to help women avoid unintended pregnancy, increased health services for pregnant women, and support services for families. Some opponents worry about comparative effectiveness research, but they are fucking stupid. Americans think health care is too expensive and want information about cost and effectiveness. Kathleen Sebelius will do an excellent job.
Kyl (R-AZ) - (Here comes the fucking stupid!) COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVE RESEARCH = RATIONING!!!!!! We can't have Washington bureaucrats rationing health care!!!! (Only private insurance companies get to do that!!) They have RATIONING in other countries!!! RATIONING!!! DENYING CARE BASED ON COST!!! Gov. Sebelius will not agree to terminate this policy!! OH NOES!!
Wyden (D-OR) - Let me assure the Senator from AZ that health care reform can be bipartisan. Reconciliation need not be an issue. Both parties have good ideas. Democrats are right that you can't reform health care unless everyone gets quality, affordable health care. Republicans are right that there needs to be a significant role for the private sector. We can meld those two good ideas together, and get a good bipartisan bill with 72+ yays. Also let me just say that Bob Dole has commended Kathleen Sebelius for her 20 years of bipartisan success in KS. Bob Dole supports her, and so do I.
Dodd (D-CN) - I rise in support of Gov. Sebelius. She has served KS well. We owe her a debt of gratitude for accepting the nomination. I can count on 2 hands the number of times I've opposed a nominee. Presidents deserve the right to pick their cabinet. A nominee's views shouldn't matter. Elections have consequences, Obama won, this is his choice to run HHS, and we shouldn't delay any longer. The minority party is blocking this important nominee in the midst of a global crisis for political reasons. She's highly qualified so the nomination should go forward. Fixing health care is essential to fixing our economy! Having an HHS secretary is essential to getting health care reformed! Delaying this appointment because you don't agree with some of her views is not acceptable! Also, comparative effectiveness research is about helping doctors and patients, not rationing!
McCaskill (D-MO) - I support Kathleen Sebelius, and Missourians like me don't usually get up and praise anyone from Kansas. Kansas is as red as Dorothy's ruby slippers, but Kathleen Sebelius won there by standing up for the people of Kansas. As insurance commissioner, she fought the largest insurance company all the way to the Supreme Court to stop a sale that would not have been good for the people of Kansas. As governor, she worked with a legislature that is mostly Republican, and got re-elected on that record. As HHS secretary, she will listen to everyone, work for common ground and make us proud.
Landrieu (D-LA) - Gov. Sebelius is an outstanding nominee. It's a failure that our society has not yet found a solution to our health care crisis. Gov. Sebelius has a long record of finding solutions on her own and getting the job done. The sooner we confirm her, the better. The outbreak of swine flu in recent days should compel the senate to get this done. Small business people can't afford health insurance. The expense of health insurance is throwing cold water on the entrepreneurial spirit in this country. The faster we can get an HHS secretary, the better. I also believe Gov. Sebelius will be a wonderful advocate for foster children. I urge my colleagues not to wait any longer to approve this nominee.
Cornyn (R-TX) - (OH GAWD here comes the dumb!) Comparative effectiveness research = DELAYING TREATMENT AND DENYING CARE!! Gov. Sebelius won't promise not to delay treatment and deny care based on cost!! Capping malpractice awards has made health care more accessible and affordable in Texas (HA! News to me!) but Gov. Sebelius wouldn't say if she agrees with that or not!! And she supports government-run public health care! IT'S A DOORWAY TO SINGLE-PAYER!! Then we'll have denial and delay of treatment!! (Never mind that millions of Americans have no health care at all under the current system.) Public care will run competition out!! We should do something like the Medicare drug benefit (huge unfettered taxpayer giveaway to insurance companies), not a public plan!! Plus Medicare and Medicaid are vulnerable to fraud!! (Patients and doctors getting something for free = unacceptable, insurance companies getting boatloads of money for nothing = good!) RECONCILIATION BAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWW!!! Sebelius supports using reconciliation to jam health care reform through over the minority's obstructionism! BAAAAAAAAAAAWWW!!! And she took money from an aborshunist!!!!!!!!!
Bingaman (D-NM) - Calls for the yays and nays! And is seconded!
AND NOW THE VOTE!!!
AND THE AYES HAVE IT!! 65 TO 31!!
Some Democrat guy - Kathleen Sebelius is well qualified and will do a fantastic job.
Another Democrat - Yes, Kathleen Sebelius rocks.
Coburn (R-OK) - Kathleen Sebelius is a lovely lady and obviously qualified, but OMG SHE THINKS IT'S JUST FINE TO PARSHUL BIRTH ABORSHUN HEALTHY VIABLE 36 WEEK FETUSES FOR FUN!!! UNACCEPTABLE!!!! (Never mind that this would be illegal in Kansas.)
Bennett (R-UT) - Kathleen Sebelius is unqualified because she supports government-run health care!! (Never mind that ANY Obama nominee would support government-run health care.) AND she got some campaign money from a PARSHUL BIRTH ABORSHUN DOCTOR!!!!! (Actually, Dr. Tiller performs labor induction abortions.)
Gillibrand (D-NY) - Yay Sojourner Truth! And it's Equal Pay Day!
Gregg (R-NH) - OH NOES Obama's budget is STEALING FROM OUR KIDS!!! (But Bush's wasn't?) SCREW HEALTH CARE REFORM!! We must cut our debt and STOP EUROPEANIZING OUR COUNTRY!!! (Never mind that more European-style government control of health care would cut costs.) RECONCILIATION BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWW!!!
Merkley (D-OR) - Introducing two bills to deal with predatory mortgage practices.
Bunning (R-KY) - (Here comes the crazy.) Life begins at conception! Every life is precious! Abortion kills defenseless babies! Babies have the right to LIVE!! Kathleen Sebelius is pro-choice so I can't vote for her!! She has VETOED ANTI-CHOICE BILLS!!! She knows Dr. Tiller!! He kills babies that have the WILL TO LIVE!!! POOR BABIES!!! DIAL-UHDIALATION AND EXTRACTAMACATION ABORSHUN is done by RIPPING BABIES UP WITH SHARP FORCEPS!!! THAT IS DISGUSTING!! Dr. Tiller donated money to Governor Sebelius!! I know Obama will never appoint an anti-choicer to HHS, but NO NOT SEBELIUS!!! Also her decades of experience is not enough!!!
Nelson (D-FL) - Kathleen Sebelius is my close personal friend. She's was insurance commissioner in Kansas after she was in the Kansas legislature. She showed the insurance industry who's boss! She stood up for consumer rights, and cracked the whip at those insurance assholes! Kathleen Sebelius is uniquely qualified for HHS!
And now, a vote on S. 386, the Financial Fraud Bill expanding fraud laws on financial transactions. AYES: 92, NAYS: 4
BREAKING NEWS on screen: Arlen Specter (R-PA) to switch from R to D!!! WAAAT???
Burris (D-IL) - It's Equal Pay Day! It takes women 1 year + 4 months to earn what a man makes in 1 year, and this is unacceptable. Support the Paycheck Fairness Act!
Brown (D-OH) - Today is Worker's Memorial Day, a day to honor workers who have died on the job or due to their jobs. Workers need better representation at OSHA. Support unions!
RECESS until 2:15(ET)!
Shaheen (D-NH) - With the swine flu, we need Gov. Sebelius NOW. Our citizens need and deserve a gov't doing everything it can to respond to this crisis. Gov. Sebelius is a common sense leader who understands health care. I commend her for her success in Kansas in working across the aisle, making health care more affordable, and providing health care to more kids. She will do the same for all Americans.
Durbin (D-IL) - Yes, we need an HHS Secretary to deal with the swine flu! The economic crisis has made health care reform more important. This is the number one concern of my constituents in Illinois. Gov. Sebelius has shown her ability to overcome partisan politics and get things done. Before she was governor, she was KS insurance commissioner from 1994-2002, and refused insurance company donations. This experience will help her do her job. As governor, she has made investments to help women avoid unintended pregnancy, increased health services for pregnant women, and support services for families. Some opponents worry about comparative effectiveness research, but they are fucking stupid. Americans think health care is too expensive and want information about cost and effectiveness. Kathleen Sebelius will do an excellent job.
Kyl (R-AZ) - (Here comes the fucking stupid!) COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVE RESEARCH = RATIONING!!!!!! We can't have Washington bureaucrats rationing health care!!!! (Only private insurance companies get to do that!!) They have RATIONING in other countries!!! RATIONING!!! DENYING CARE BASED ON COST!!! Gov. Sebelius will not agree to terminate this policy!! OH NOES!!
Wyden (D-OR) - Let me assure the Senator from AZ that health care reform can be bipartisan. Reconciliation need not be an issue. Both parties have good ideas. Democrats are right that you can't reform health care unless everyone gets quality, affordable health care. Republicans are right that there needs to be a significant role for the private sector. We can meld those two good ideas together, and get a good bipartisan bill with 72+ yays. Also let me just say that Bob Dole has commended Kathleen Sebelius for her 20 years of bipartisan success in KS. Bob Dole supports her, and so do I.
Dodd (D-CN) - I rise in support of Gov. Sebelius. She has served KS well. We owe her a debt of gratitude for accepting the nomination. I can count on 2 hands the number of times I've opposed a nominee. Presidents deserve the right to pick their cabinet. A nominee's views shouldn't matter. Elections have consequences, Obama won, this is his choice to run HHS, and we shouldn't delay any longer. The minority party is blocking this important nominee in the midst of a global crisis for political reasons. She's highly qualified so the nomination should go forward. Fixing health care is essential to fixing our economy! Having an HHS secretary is essential to getting health care reformed! Delaying this appointment because you don't agree with some of her views is not acceptable! Also, comparative effectiveness research is about helping doctors and patients, not rationing!
McCaskill (D-MO) - I support Kathleen Sebelius, and Missourians like me don't usually get up and praise anyone from Kansas. Kansas is as red as Dorothy's ruby slippers, but Kathleen Sebelius won there by standing up for the people of Kansas. As insurance commissioner, she fought the largest insurance company all the way to the Supreme Court to stop a sale that would not have been good for the people of Kansas. As governor, she worked with a legislature that is mostly Republican, and got re-elected on that record. As HHS secretary, she will listen to everyone, work for common ground and make us proud.
Landrieu (D-LA) - Gov. Sebelius is an outstanding nominee. It's a failure that our society has not yet found a solution to our health care crisis. Gov. Sebelius has a long record of finding solutions on her own and getting the job done. The sooner we confirm her, the better. The outbreak of swine flu in recent days should compel the senate to get this done. Small business people can't afford health insurance. The expense of health insurance is throwing cold water on the entrepreneurial spirit in this country. The faster we can get an HHS secretary, the better. I also believe Gov. Sebelius will be a wonderful advocate for foster children. I urge my colleagues not to wait any longer to approve this nominee.
Cornyn (R-TX) - (OH GAWD here comes the dumb!) Comparative effectiveness research = DELAYING TREATMENT AND DENYING CARE!! Gov. Sebelius won't promise not to delay treatment and deny care based on cost!! Capping malpractice awards has made health care more accessible and affordable in Texas (HA! News to me!) but Gov. Sebelius wouldn't say if she agrees with that or not!! And she supports government-run public health care! IT'S A DOORWAY TO SINGLE-PAYER!! Then we'll have denial and delay of treatment!! (Never mind that millions of Americans have no health care at all under the current system.) Public care will run competition out!! We should do something like the Medicare drug benefit (huge unfettered taxpayer giveaway to insurance companies), not a public plan!! Plus Medicare and Medicaid are vulnerable to fraud!! (Patients and doctors getting something for free = unacceptable, insurance companies getting boatloads of money for nothing = good!) RECONCILIATION BAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWW!!! Sebelius supports using reconciliation to jam health care reform through over the minority's obstructionism! BAAAAAAAAAAAWWW!!! And she took money from an aborshunist!!!!!!!!!
Bingaman (D-NM) - Calls for the yays and nays! And is seconded!
AND NOW THE VOTE!!!
AND THE AYES HAVE IT!! 65 TO 31!!