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发帖数: 29846 | 1 Calif. Democrats walk middle path in health debate
April 12, 2014 - 11:03 AM
By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Ami Bera has been making a habit lately
of bucking his own president and voting with the Republican majority in the
House as it moves to amend or overturn parts of the national health care law.
Bera, a physician who favors expanding access to health coverage, said that'
s consistent with his position that Congress should keep what works in the
law and fix what doesn't. Yet it's also a political strategy for a freshman
lawmaker running for re-election in a swing district, even in left-leaning
California.
He is one of a handful of Democrats who represent districts that are closely
divided between the two major political parties. A voter-approved
independent redistricting process in California has led to several highly
competitive seats and forced politicians to appeal to middle-of-the-road
voters.
Bera said his focus in voting with the GOP has been on controlling the cost
of health care for patients and employers. He said he hopes voters will
prefer someone with his experience as a medical doctor for two decades
making changes to the law. A complete repeal, however, is not an option, he
said.
"We shouldn't go back to a time when, if you come down with cancer, your
health insurance can drop you," he said.
Other California Democrats who have at times sided with House Republicans on
various health reform votes include Reps. Julia Brownley, Jim Costa, Scott
Peters and Raul Ruiz.
Republicans said voters concerned about the impact of the health law will
see the Democrats' occasional siding with the GOP as simply a political ploy.
"People think there's nuances, that these members can throw a vote or two
the other way and say 'I'm for correcting it,'" said House majority whip
Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from Bakersfield. "No, it's much bigger, and
people have made a decision."
McCarthy said opponents of the health care law are much more motivated to
vote this year than those who support it, which should be an advantage for
Republicans.
Republicans have held more than 50 votes on changing or repealing the law
over the past three years, knowing most would die in the Democratic Senate.
The intent of the votes was to give their candidates ammunition against
incumbent Democrats in competitive districts.
The fix-it approach by the Democrats could be low-risk. The GOP bills would
pass the House with or without their support. They and Democratic Party
leaders know their votes will not change the law yet can moderate their
records and help them appeal to a wider swath of voters.
Peters, of San Diego, joined Bera last month when 12 Democrats voted to
delay the penalty for failing to purchase health insurance coverage.
Last week, Bera, Peters and Costa, who represents a Fresno-area district,
joined 15 other Democrats in voting for a bill that sought to change the law
's definition of full-time work from 30 hours a week to 40 — raising the
threshold at which employers would have to provide insurance.
On another high-profile vote, Bera and Peters were joined by fellow freshmen
Brownley and Ruiz in voting for a bill that would delay the requirement
that larger employers offer their full-time workers the chance to enroll in
a health plan.
Those four are Republicans' chief California targets in this year's
elections.
Rep. Steve Israel of New York, who oversees the Democrats' House elections
effort, said he believes they have voted as most of their constituents had
wanted.
"All of these polls agree on at least one thing: Voters in California want
the Affordable Care Act fixed and improved, not repealed," Israel said. "
Every time a California Republican insists on repealing the bill, they may
animate their base, but they are losing independents and moderates."
This year's elections will be the third straight in which GOP opposition to
the law will be a central focus. That strategy allowed the GOP to take the
majority in the House during the last midterm elections in 2010.
Yet it's a strategy that has not worked so far in California, which has the
nation's largest congressional delegation and where Democrats hold 38 of 53
seats.
With the Affordable Care Act taking full effect this year, Republicans seem
anxious to test it with Bera. All three GOP challengers have called for
repealing the law. The top two vote-getters in the June 3 primary —
regardless of party affiliation — move on to the general election.
Peters' race is the only one so far to attract significant outside money.
Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group backed by billionaire
brothers Charles and David Koch, aired TV commercials criticizing the health
reform bill. Three Republicans are vying for the seat.
The GOP has recruited members of the California Legislature to challenge
Brownley and Ruiz. Brownley said she wishes Republicans had sought to work
with Democrats to improve the health care law rather than dismantle it.
"This is not a political play on my part. This is about trying to, when the
opportunities come up, work toward improvement," she said. "I believe
strongly that's where the majority of my constituents are." | T*********I
发帖数: 10729 | |
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