Today in Washington D. C. - June 24, 2009

On Friday, the House approved four articles of impeachment on allegations of sexual assault and lying to Justice Department and court officials against Judge Samuel Kent of the Southern District of Texas, with no dissenting votes. The AP reported that "Kent pleaded guilty to lying to judicial investigators about the sexual assaults of two women who worked for him and is serving a 33-month prison sentence. Kent has said he would resign in June 2010, allowing him to draw his $174,000 annual salary another year. Federal judges are appointed for life. Lawmakers can only force Kent out of office by convicting him in a Senate trial on the impeachment charges."

Today, The Senate began impeachment proceedings after the House impeachment managers presented the articles of impeachment to the Senate. Senators were then sworn for the impeachment proceedings. A committee was appointed to consider the evidence, consisting of Sens. McCaskill (D-MO), Klobuchar (D-MN), Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Shaheen (D-NH), Kaufman (D-DE), Martinez (R-FL), DeMint (R-SC), Barrasso (R-WY), Wicker (R-MS), Johanns (R-NE), and Risch (R-ID).

The Senate then began consideration of the nomination of Yale Law School Dean Howard Koh to be legal advisor to the State Department. The Senate voted 65-31 to invoke cloture on his nomination this morning. Warning: Koh supports gun control on a global scale. Recommend gun owners contact their Senators and insist that they vote AGAINST this anti-gun extremist. Review prior Action Alert by the GOA.

Republicans are seeking to reach an agreement with Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on moving to the fiscal 2010 Legislative Branch appropriations bill later in the day.

National Government Run Health Care: At President Obama’s press conference yesterday, he was asked about his prior assurances that under his health care plan, which would include a government-run insurance plan, Americans who like their current health insurance would be able to keep it. In his speech to the American Medical Association last week, Obama said, “no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise to the American people: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period.”

But Salon.com reported, “Questioned about an earlier promise that no one who was happy with their current insurance provided by their employer and wanted to keep it would be forced to switch, Obama had to concede that wasn't really true.” And The Hill pointed out, “Obama seemed to concede for the first time that some employers will opt for public insurance, a major criticism of free-market enthusiasts who see the president's plan as an inevitable step toward government-run healthcare.”

Indeed, last week the AP noted that “no president could guarantee such a pledge.” Non-partisan studies from both the Congressional Budget Office and the Lewin Group concluded that millions were likely to lose their private health coverage with the institution of a government-run plan.

Health care insurers are warning about the very same thing. The Wall Street Journal reports that America's Health Insurance Plans, “[t]he nation's largest health insurer trade group” sent a letter to Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), chairman of the Senate HELP committee, which is writing a bill to include a government-run insurance plan. According to The Journal, the letter “states that a [government-run] public health insurance option ‘would dismantle employer-based coverage, significantly increase costs for those who remain in private coverage, and add additional liabilities to the federal budget.’”

This is something that Americans are clearly concerned about, as evidenced by a new Washington Post-ABC News Poll. The Post writes that “there is broad public anxiety about the potential impact of reform legislation” and “[m]ost respondents are ‘very concerned’ that health-care reform would lead to higher costs, lower quality, fewer choices, a bigger deficit, diminished insurance coverage and more government bureaucracy.” The Post goes on to explain, “Part of the reason so many are nervous about future changes is a fear they may lose what they currently have. More than eight in 10 said they are satisfied with the quality of care they now receive and relatively content with their own current expenses, and worry about future rising costs cuts across party lines and is amplified in the weak economy.” And an ABC News analysis notes that in the poll, “Fifty-eight percent don't buy President Obama's pledge that reform can occur without forcing people to make undesired changes in their current coverage.”

---

Tags: Barack Obama, health care, Howard Koh, Impeachment, nationalized health care, US Congress, US House, US Senate, Washington D.C. To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!