9/11 First Responders storm (R) Tom Coburn's Office

[Exotix]

.. To Protest Block On Their Health Care Bill ...

Today

9/11 First Responders Storm Tom Coburn's Office To Protest Block On Their Health Care Bill (VIDEO)


UPDATE: The Senate has reached a deal that is expected to allow for the passage of a scaled-down health care package.

Senator Coburn responded in a statement:

"I'm pleased the sponsors of this bill agreed to lower costs dramatically, offset the bill, sunset key provisions and take steps to prevent fraud.

Every American recognizes the heroism of the 9/11 first responders, but it is not compassionate to help one group while robbing future generations of opportunity.

I'm pleased this agreement strikes a fair balance and improves the bill the majority attempted to rush through at the last minute."



EARLIER:

The below post has been updated.

A group of 9/11 first responders attempted to storm Tom Coburn's office Tuesday to personally lobby the GOP senator to lift a block that he had vowed to place on legislation meant to help cover their mounting health care costs.

John Feal, head of the responders, told ThinkProgress that they had been prohibited from meeting the Republican opponents of the bill.

He called the actions "rude," and criticized Coburn directly:

"Mr. Coburn should be ashamed of himself," Feal told ThinkProgress.
"Because I think before he was a senator he was a doctor and he took an oath to help people that are sick. He's going against his oath as a doctor.

He can vote any way he wants as a senator, but as a doctor, he just embarrassed the medical profession."




Coburn explained on Tuesday that he was stonewalling the $6.2 billion bill because it hadn't been through a legitimate hearing process.

There was a hearing on the measure, however, though Coburn was a no-show, a Senate Democratic aide explained on Tuesday.




Coburn has outlined a six-page list of concerns over the legislation that details some specific areas that the Oklahoma senator found objectionable.

Among them: questions about the amount of funding, worries over the creation of a health care entitlement program, and apprehension about the effects of additional taxes and fees that were included as offset mechanisms.

Republicans have also balked on supporting the bill because of its proposed cost offsets, which had at first been designed to close a foreign corporate tax loophole, a tactic that's apparently unacceptable to a number of GOP senators.
A second version of the bill would set a fee on federal government contractors with foreign countries that have not signed certain procurement agreements with the U.S and extend a fee that already exists on certain H1B visas.

Other key Republicans, such as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, however, have been vocal about encouraging GOP senators to pass the legislation.

The ongoing debate has even gotten some members of Fox News riled up. Anchor Shep Smith has repeatedly taken Republicans to task for their reluctance to support the initiative. On Tuesday, Smith called out Coburn for obstructing the measure.

The Hill reports that Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), one of the bill's sponsors, has announced plans to bring the measure to the floor on Wednesday afternoon.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that the Senate will hold a cloture vote at around noon to see if the bill providing healthcare benefits to 9/11 first responders can get the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.

YouTube - 9/11 First Responders visit Sen. Coburn's office

Now suspiciously disguised as an Alaskan outbacker Tom Coburn ...

[ChasC5]

The Republicans Shamed into voting.

Real Patrots aren't they.

[ChasC5]

:d :d :d :d

[ChasC5]

Originally Posted by TxAg

Got nothing, big surprise.

Nothing for you, no big deal.

[Exotix]

Originally Posted by TxAg

Got nothing, big surprise.

The world wants to move on and move along ... here's the example of what the normal world still has to deal with ... village idiots lingering around posturing and postulizing worse than the now dead Bush (neo)-conservatist agendist *movement* ...

I mean, Palin is more normal than you guys ... the party of incompetents ..



(R) Tom Coburn ~ *We're incompetent*

Newsericks Tom Coburn


Here’s Senator Coburn on Morning Joe on 5/27/10 ... (the “we’re incompetent” quote is at 6:20).

A lot of what Senator Coburn says about the need to address our debt, future financial risk, and the reluctance of politicians to do so is correct and his willingness to criticize Repubs as well as Dems is admirable, but his unwillingness to consider raising taxes and his absurd characterization of government spending as “$350 billion in discretionary waste” is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

YouTube - Dr. Coburn on msnbc's Morning Joe discussing debt

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