U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said Democrats are working to create a “dependency class” in America in an effort to expand their political base and stay in power.

“That’s part of the motive,” King said when discussing federal health-care reform efforts with reporters after a Tuesday taping of Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press.”

King, who represents Iowa’s 5th District, said he will do what he can to try stop a health-care bill from heading to President Barack Obama’s desk, and he urged others who opposed the bill to join him.

» Continue reading “King will continue to fight health-care bill”

Republican governors are not alone in being concerned about what the proposed health care legislation might mean for their already overstrained budgets: Democrats share the same worries.         “We’ve got concerns,” Gov. Jack Markell of Delaware said in an interview Wednesday, hours before getting elected as the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association. “And we’re doing our best to communicate them. We understand the need to get something done, and we’re supportive of getting something done. But we want to make sure it’s done in a way that state budgets are not negatively impacted.”

» Continue reading “Democratic Governors Voice Concern Over Health Care Bill”

Buy the DVD: www.shoppbs.org BMJL4306_052209:N:DGR:N:N:609:QPBS Washington’s abuzz about health care, but why isn’t a single-payer plan an option on the table? Public Citizen’s Dr. Sidney Wolfe and Physicians for a National Health Program’s Dr. David Himmelstein on the political and logistical feasibility of health care reform.

In which John offers a summary of the health care reform bill that just passed the US senate, discussing the insurance exchange market, pre-existing condition clauses, medicare taxes, and other fine points of the still-under-debate bill. Here’s a good explanation of how the insurance exchanges will look like: bit.ly Thanks to Alan Lastufka ( youtube.com ) for the Ben Nelson asshat photo. About abortion: The senate plan works like this: Policies covering abortion would be available in the …

Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander released a statement this morning saying the Senate-approved health care bill is riddled with “sweetheart deals” that will increase taxes and damage education.

Fellow Republican, Sen. Bob Corker, said the bill is “fundamentally flawed” and called for bipartisanship.

The bill, approved on a 60-39 vote, must still be merged with legislation passed by the House.

“The Senate health bill will prove to be an historic mistake if this or anything like it is ultimately signed by the president,” said Alexander, who is chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.

» Continue reading “Alexander, Corker criticize passage of Senate health care bill”

www.pbs.org. A Bill Moyers essay. Bill Moyers Journal airs Fridays at 9 pm — check local listings.