Senator Coburn

On a blogger call today Senator Coburn and Representatives Nunes and Ryan discussed their alternative health care plan entitled 'Patients' Choice Act.' Representative Nunes noted that the Obama administration has yet to release any of the details of the plan that it is already starting to promote. Summaries of the Patients' Choice Act as well as additional information are given on Representative Ryan's website.

“The Patients’ Choice Act of 2009,” transforms health care in America by strengthening the relationship between the patient and the doctor; using choice and competition rather than rationing and restrictions to contain costs; and ensuring universal, affordable health care for all Americans. “The Patients’ Choice Act” promotes innovative, State-based solutions, along with fundamental reforms in the tax code, to give every American, regardless of employment status, age, or health condition, the ability and the resources to purchase health insurance. The comprehensive legislation includes concrete prevention and transparency initiatives, long overdue reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, investments in wellness programs and health IT, and more.

Republican Health Care Alternative, Patients' Choice Act

A guest post from an anonymous insider on the Right.

In general, when Congress funds a specific product or program, companies engage in a competitive process to receive the money.  However, earmarks circumvent the process and allow Politicians to determine who gets the government funds.  Earmarks allow Politicians to fund their pet projects or provide benefits to companies which help fund their campaigns. 

For instance, General Motors has contributed $29,000 to Sen. Carl Levin's campaign.  In exchange, he earmarked $10 million dollars for them in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill.  That's a substantial return on an investment.
 
Senator Levin apparently does not like the press he is receiving from his earmarking efforts (49 requests in this legislative cycle alone), so he has devised a scheme to cover up his activity - a scheme that threatens the entire fight against earmarks. 

I am reliably told that Senators DeMint and Senator Coburn are willing to go to war on this issue.

To cover up his activity, Senator Levin is attempting to place earmarks in committee reports instead of including them as part of the legislative language.  He did this by hiding some language in the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill which changes the way earmarks are viewed. 

Most senators don't bother to read legislative language and even fewer have time to read more extensive committee reports.  Under Senator Levin's cover up scheme, he can hide behind committee reports that are never voted on and talk out of both sides of his mouth by arguing that committee reports do not have the force of law.  What Levin will not tell you is that, because of the special language he slipped in, earmarks in committee reports do have the force of law.
 
Senator DeMint has an amendment (cosponsored by Senators Coburn and Burr) to strike the requirement that earmarks which have not been voted on in committee or otherwise be treated as law.  Senator DeMint attempted to offer his amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill on Thursday afternoon, but Senator Levin objected to even the right to debate the issue and would not allow Senator DeMint to introduce the amendment for consideration. 

Obviously, Senator Levin has something to hide.

If Senator DeMint is not allowed to offer his amendment, $5.9 billion in earmarks will be handed out at the taxpayers' expense without the benefit of any debate.

As the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Senator Levin has the responsibility of writing the committee report and he can place anything in the report he chooses.  He has chosen to use his Chairmanship to the tune of $198 million.  And to cover it up so that the corrupt earmarking status quo would continue.

Senate Democrats promised more open government.  This is not it. 
 
Senator Levin announced on Thursday that cloture on the bill will be filed on Friday.  If cloture is invoked, America will suffer a $5.9 billion cover up.