The Longest Bill Ever, and How We Can Change That.
27 11 2009Republican lawmakers are whining up a storm about the length of the proposed health care bill. You’ll recall that Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah bloviated that HR3962 was “longer than War & Peace.”
War and Peace has about 560,000 words and the Senate Health Care Bill has a mere 314,900, so there.
Granted the bill is longer than any other since 1999. The second longest one (authored by Alaska’s Republican Congressman Don Young) was the awkwardly named “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users 2005″ (Presumably the name of the bill was tortured until it gave up a lame acronym. SAFE-TEA? Ugh.) Young’s bill boasts only 68 fewer words.
Can we please have SOMEbody go through that bill and remove 69 words? It shouldn’t be that difficult to do, and then when Republicans annoy us with the “longest bill in the last 10 years, and Democrats want confusing bills and big government” speech, we can say, “Nuh-uh… For that you can blame Don Young.” I think it would be worth making a couple quick edits to drive a stake through that talking point, and leave Don Young with the honors.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Let me grab my box of red pens, and I’ll get to work. Sixty-nine words is a piece of cake for high school English teachers; all Congresspeople are wordy and redundant- it’s part of their job description.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Just take out a few “hereins” and “whereases”. In fact, if there is any kind of preamble, just trash one of its clauses.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:28 PM
How in the heck did you discover that gem?
November 27th, 2009 at 5:30 PM
In fact, why not just delete the Stupak amendment?
November 27th, 2009 at 5:33 PM
Oh, problem child, I think you are on to something –
November 27th, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Sounds like a winner strategy, AKM.
Since the GOP only peddle whining talking points these days instead of actual policy…….taking away one of their talking points would cause certain consternation and a mad scramble to come up with one more grievance….er, talking point.
…and, yeah….Yon Dung would be stuck with the honors. Couldn’t happen to a better guy.
We need to all email the White House with your splendid idea.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:39 PM
It wouldn’t be so long if it wasn’t bloated with all of the excrement the Republicans insisted be added and then not vote for anyway.
Take out all of their garbage and see how short it is. So what if you drop it? They’re not going to vote for it anyway so no loss.
Then Don Young can have his record back.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:55 PM
Separate Title II, which deals with improving health care delivery, from the rest of the Health Care Reform Bill. It should pass faster- Republicans say that’s what they want, so call them on it. Insurance Companies are against transparency and efficiency, so the debate will publicize their lobbying efforts. The money saved from these reforms could annually pay for health insurance for millions.
Now the original bill is thousands of words shorter– take that, Senator Hatch.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:58 PM
Brilliant, PC!
November 27th, 2009 at 6:32 PM
mlaiuppa I have been wondering why any of their Ideas are left in they have all stated they would not vote for the bill no matter what.So why compromise for them. AKM good Idea send the thought to the white house maybe someone would think it was a very good idea.Better tan anything I have seen come from SP at any rate.
November 27th, 2009 at 6:50 PM
Bitter much? Still laughing, though.
November 27th, 2009 at 6:55 PM
The suffix to Don Young’s terrible, pork-laden 2005 transportation bill SAFETEA-LU, got its ridiculous suffix “A Legacy for Users” as a tribute to his wife, Lu.
http://www.planetizen.com/node/27172
Apparently the poor woman’s ability to accept humiliation at the hands of her arrogant dullard of a spouse was bottomless.
November 27th, 2009 at 6:55 PM
Longer than the Internal Revenue Code? I think not. But 69 words should be pretty easy.
November 27th, 2009 at 7:10 PM
Just make a wiki out of it and I’ll do a little editing of my own.
November 27th, 2009 at 7:38 PM
Hey Mudpups – I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! My aunt made an amazing mashed sweet potato, it was lovely!
Thank you AKM for your tireless commitment to the truth. Here’s to another year of great friends and even better blogging!
As for the Repubs? As always – focusing on what is important. Geez.
November 27th, 2009 at 8:48 PM
Problem Child, I think I love you, regardless of your gender.
November 27th, 2009 at 8:57 PM
yeah, what problem child said…get rid of the Stupak Amendment
November 27th, 2009 at 10:35 PM
Problem child rocks. Have you considered a career in politics?
November 27th, 2009 at 11:13 PM
Yes, please forward this to the Whitehouse & Mark Begich! Let the Republicans & Don Young have the honor!
November 28th, 2009 at 2:01 AM
LOL………69 “the”s will do…..lol
Speaking of Hatch, this is what really irks him about health care reform and most likely, the rest of the republicans fear the same:
November 2, 2009
ORRIN HATCH SLIPS INTO CONSPIRATORIAL MODE….
This morning, Hatch went so far as to suggest health care reform, if it becomes law, threatens the existence of our two-party political system.
Hatch asserted that the health bills, which he believes is a “step by step approach to socialized medicine,” will lead to Americans’ dependence on Democrats for their health and other issues.
“And if they get there, of course, you’re going to have a very rough time having a two-party system in this country, because almost everybody’s going to say, ‘All we ever were, all we ever are, all we ever hope to be depends on the Democratic Party,’” Hatch said during an interview with the conservative CNSNews.com.
“That’s their goal,” Hatch added. “That’s what keeps Democrats in power.”
That claim led Hatch to suggest that some Democrats are “diabolical” in their pursuit of health reform.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com
November 28th, 2009 at 6:47 AM
Thanks for the mudlove, all! I’m serious about getting rid of the Stupak amendment, by the way. That is just a horrible amendment.
November 28th, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Just pull a Sarah and delete the index.
November 28th, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Change the font size and the margins…done. P.S what relatives does SP have in North Carolina?
November 28th, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Just read that the Republicans are “threatening to read” the entire health care reform bill. I can’t find where I read that, but I think it referred to one of Sarah’s tweets. Can you believe it, they are finally maybe going to read what they already should have read instead of carrying it around to show how big it is. No wonder they are so confused and argue points that they don’t even know anything about. Unbelievable.
November 28th, 2009 at 5:02 PM
ginger their reading of it is to slow it down by reading it aloud on the floor of the senate.IMO they already know whats in it that’s why all the gnashing of teeth and so forth by them
November 29th, 2009 at 9:04 PM
Perhaps Orrin is expecting a Cliff’s Notes version to peruse.