While Gabby Giffords is on recess from the House this month, she will continue to deceive the good people of her district by saying that what she is doing for them in Congress is to their benefit. She will be holding 3 public forums in Green Valley, Bisbee and Tucson to discuss the “improvements” to Medicare that was passed in the Democrats first step towards a new form of Hillary Care - The Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP Act). These forums are likely to be an hour long lecture in which Gabby makes the case for a health care reform package that in fact does nothing to help children nor seniors.
As these forums are about Medicare, it is a sure chance that each of them are going to be packed with senior citizens. Gabby is going to assure them that the CHAMP Act is improving their Medicare coverage, but conveniently forget to mention that the bill she voted for makes cuts to the programs funding to pay for the other half of the bill, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
Now suppose that one of the seniors in the room actually paid attention (and most of them do) to the content of the CHAMP Act, and questions Gabby about that cut to Medicare? What would her response be? The usual bullet shield that Democrats use to protect themselves from a wave of criticism…the children. She is going to tell a room full of senior citizens that they are losing funding to their health care because the Democratic Congress believes that it can handle health insurance better than insurance companies can. Companies that have been providing it for years, making the United States the worlds best health care system. So Gabby is going to be telling these seniors is that the federal government will do a better job by cutting one program to fund another?
Of course Gabby will also forget to mention to these seniors that CHAMP is also funded by a tax increase on low-income Americans. And what constitutes someone as a “child” according to CHAMP? Someone as old as 25 years-of-age. And who else can receive health care from this program? Illegal immigrants. That’s right. There is a provision in the bill that would allow people who entered this country illegally to latch onto a program paid for by tax hikes and Medicare cuts. All will be conveniently left out of Gabby’s speech in these forums.
Lets not overlook the fact either that this bill is packed fat with pork. Every piece of legislation the new Democratic Congress has passed in its 8 months in power has been loaded with billions of dollars in earmark projects. Gabby has had no reservations about requesting earmarks as she has over $327,000,000 in pork attached to various House bills. But somehow Gabby still claims to be fiscally conservative. She’ll probably tout being fiscally responsible in these forums, while again forgetting to mention the truth.
You know, there is nothing wrong with trying to provide health care to children who have none. But not like this. This is just another “business-as-usual” bull crap that the Democrats are trying to pass over our heads. If it was a bill that simply continued to fund SCHIP, I’d be all for it. But its loaded with pork, and provisions that have nothing to do with children.
Not to mention cuts to Medicare? My father has been a Democrat his whole life, but damn is he pissed right now. I’ve never heard him talk so adamantly about someone kicking Giffords ass in 08. I support Tim Bee, but I think my dad may be referring to a primary challenger.
Wait, I thought Republicans wanted to cut Great Society programs like Medicare?