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How about an amendment to force members of Congress to personally use whatever health care they pass

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begin_within Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:21 PM
Original message
How about an amendment to force members of Congress to personally use whatever health care they pass
No single payer? No federally funded health care plan for Congress.
No public option? No publicly funded health care plan available for members of Congress to buy.
No Medicare-for-all? No federally funded health care plan for members of Congress too young for Medicare.
Mandating that Americans buy private health insurance? Mandate that members of Congress do the same. They can certainly afford it.
Jail time for those who don't buy private health insurance? Jail time for members of Congress who don't buy it either.
They should have to take whatever they dish out.
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dysfunctional press Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:22 PM
Response to Original message
1. and how do you expect to get congress to vote to put these restrictions on themselves...?
:shrug:
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begin_within Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:39 PM
Response to Reply #1
7. Peer pressure and the tool of shame
The good guys, like Kucinich and Sanders, introducing it and pledging that they will abide by it, then a climate of shame spread on any member who won't.
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dysfunctional press Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:43 PM
Response to Reply #7
10. you forgot the sarcasm smilie.
because i KNOW that you can't be serious about using "peer pressure and the tool of shame" to influence congress-people.


"shame"...:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

no, really this time- how would you ever get congress to pass these kinds of restrictions on themselves...? :shrug:
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KansDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:39 PM
Response to Reply #1
8. This was addressed in Newt's "Contract with America" (1994)
Government reform
On the first day of their majority, the Republicans promised to hold floor votes on eight reforms of government operations:

require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply to Congress;
select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
limit the terms of all committee chairs;
ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
require committee meetings to be open to the public;
require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
and implement a zero base-line budgeting process for the annual Federal Budget.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract_with_America

I guess in the six years the GOP held the White House, both Houses of Congress, the Supreme Court, and most of the media, someone forgot to implement this one...:shrug:
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dysfunctional press Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:41 PM
Response to Reply #8
9. and term limits as well.
if they won't do it when they themselves have the idea- why would they ever do it when it's someone else's idea..?
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endless october Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:23 PM
Response to Original message
2. agree.
kr
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MercutioATC Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:25 PM
Response to Original message
3. That's just silly.
Members of Congress have an employer. That employer is the federal government. As such, they're entitled to (and currently receive) the same health insurance options that every other federal employee gets.

While I agree that they're out of touch on many of the issues, they are entitled to the health care benefits provided by their employer.
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begin_within Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:44 PM
Response to Reply #3
11. No, what's silly is
giving them the power to decide on a health care system that doesn't apply to them. That's silly. And it's hypocritical for them to decide that a particular system is right for the American people if they are supposed to represent the American people yet they aren't affected by it themselves.
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MercutioATC Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:50 PM
Response to Reply #11
13. They legislate any number of things that don't apply to them.
That's kinda their job.
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Andy823 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:27 PM
Response to Original message
4. I like it but
Since most of them are worth millions, I doubt that it would affect their ability to make ends meet as it will millions of americans who aren't worth millions!

Not only should we take away their health care, but we need to take away their ability to get millions from groups that give them money to vote against what is needed, and instead vote whatever way those who give them the money want them to. Of course that also would require them to implement such a law, and that is not gong to ever happen!
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Lars39 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:27 PM
Response to Original message
5.  Make it proportional to their total income.
Since quite a few are very well off.
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Freddie Stubbs Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:29 PM
Response to Original message
6. It would ensure that only the wealthy would be able to serve in Congress
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Tailormyst Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:46 PM
Response to Original message
12. They can afford the insurance.
The ones most hurt are the middle and working classes. This bill doesn't hurt them in any way.
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RB TexLa Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 02:53 PM
Response to Original message
14. They already do, they get their employer's plan.
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HopeHoops Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Dec-17-09 04:56 PM
Response to Original message
15. That's EXACTLY what I've been saying all along - good enough for us, then good enough for them.
One plan for everybody including members of Congress.
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