Today, the House Republicans were busy forming alliances and initiatives. Three Republicans joined with three Democrats to launch Congressional Coal Caucus. Calling coal "America's most abundant and affordable energy resource," the bipartisan group of congressmen and women note that coal provides nearly 50% of America's energy supply and generates more than 130,000 coal-mining jobs. They've pledged to use their new caucus to provide a voice for coal communities in Congress.
In addition, Republican leaders launched "America Speaking Out," an unprecedented initiative to engage the American people and give them a voice in crafting a new governing agenda for the 111th Congress. In launching their new initiative, Republican leaders said, "America deserves a Congress that respects the priorities of the people. Unfortunately, Washington hasn't been listening. Let's change that. America Speaking Out is your opportunity to change the way Congress works by proposing ideas for a new policy agenda. Republicans have offered solutions, and we have our principles, but this is a new venue for us to listen to you." While they encouraging a national dialogue, the new website also makes clear that House Republicans know their conservative principles and will stand by them. The front page of the site includes this statement: "Here, Americans are provided a new platform to share their priorities and ideas for a national policy agenda. As Republicans, we are committed to our principles of limited, more accountable government; economic freedom; lower taxes; fiscal responsibility; protecting life, American values, and the Constitution; and providing for a strong national security. This is an open forum, however, where all Americans are welcome to respectfully offer their opinions, regardless of party affiliation and whether we endorse them or not."
Yesterday, we identified that a Rasmussen Poll revealed that 63% of American Voters Want Obamacare Repealed. However, that has not stopped he Obama propaganda campaign paid for by the taxpayers. Roll Call reports today, “According to an e-mail sent to Capitol Hill staff by Amy Hall, director of the CMS Office of Legislation, Medicare recipients beginning Tuesday will receive a brochure titled ‘Medicare and the New Health Law — What it Means for You.’ The pamphlet, published in English and Spanish, summarizes how the health care reform law enacted in March affects Medicare recipients and their families.”
ABC News adds, “The government is mailing out a 4-page pamphlet with a message from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who tells seniors they will still get the same basic Medicare benefits. The pamphlet has photos of smiling middle-aged seniors, some with their grand kids. And it uses words like ‘helps,’ ‘expands’ and ‘protects.’” But as Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell explained in a floor speech this morning, “The flyer purports to inform seniors about what the health care bill would mean for them. Much of it directly contradicts what the administration’s own experts have said about the law. And all this is bought and paid for by the American taxpayer. So this is a complete outrage, and it’s precisely the kind of thing Americans are so angry about at the moment.”
The flyer promises, “The guaranteed Medicare benefits you currently receive will remain the same.” But just last month the AP noted a report from the same HHS department “projected that Medicare cuts could drive about 15 percent of hospitals and other institutional providers into the red, ‘possibly jeopardizing access’ to care for seniors.” Incredibly, the flyer also touts “improvements to Medicare Advantage” and says the health care bill “protects Medicare Advantage members” when even before the bill passed it was known that the bill cut over $130 billion from Medicare Advantage.
Even more objectionable is the fact that the government is now doing, with taxpayer money, precisely what it tried to prevent private health insurance companies from doing in the fall: inform them about the health care bill. Recall that in September, the HHS Department issued an order “telling insurance companies who serve Medicare recipients to stop ‘misleading’ and ‘confusing’ mailings, saying, quote, ‘we are instructing you to immediately discontinue all such mailings… and remove any related materials… from your websites,’” as ABC’s Jonathan Karl described it. At the time, Sen. McConnell said, “This is so clearly an outrage it’s hard to believe anyone thought it would go unnoticed. For explaining to seniors how legislation might affect them, the federal government has now issued a gag order on that company, and any other company that communicates with clients on the issue, telling them to shut up — or else.”
It seems there’s no end to the hypocrisy, double standards, and misleading information that Democrats and the Obama administration will use to try to sell the public on the health care law Americans didn’t want to begin with. Opposition to their health care bill has remained steady since Obama signed it two months ago. And now the administration has the gall to spend tax dollars to continue a government propaganda campaign paid for by the taxpayers, saying things that have been contradicted by its own experts.
Tags: Washington, D.C., US Senate, US House, US Congress, Obamacare, Obama administration, propaganda, House Republicans. America Speaking Out To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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