Tom Coburn To Block 9/11 Responders Bill

[obxhead]

Source: The Huffington Post

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) plans to block legislation that would provide additional aid to cover the health care costs of 9/11 first responders, one of the senator's aides told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday morning.

Senate Republicans have opposed the measure, also called the Zadroga bill, first over concerns that it would take precedence over a plan to extend the Bush tax cuts -- a deal that has since been reached -- and now due to issues with the cost-control measures and $7.4 billion cost of the legislation. That money would go toward covering the medical bills of 9/11 emergency workers who have suffered from health complications following the inhalation of toxic chemicals at Ground Zero.

The current offset proposal would enact three small taxes and fees that are meant to target companies that rely on outsourcing jobs in order to provide goods and services. Coburn said Tuesday, however, that he wants the offsets to come through spending cuts, and would prefer to see the legislation reach a floor vote through committee, rather than being fast-tracked, an action that has been taken to allow a vote on the bill to come before the end of the session.

Support for the measure had apparently been growing before Coburn's announcement. New York Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, two of the bill's sponsors, both claimed Monday that the bill finally had the votes to pass. That contention appeared to be supported by the recent comments of a some key Republicans who had encouraged a Senate détente in order to send the package through to the President.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/21/tom-coburn-911-responders-bill_n_799699.html

[Mz Pip]

1. There are no words...

Well, there are, but I really try not to use them.

[FiveGoodMen]

3. There NEED to be words about this in every conversation and interview with Dems

There NEED to be...

[Mz Pip]

6. Well, I doubt

any Dem will go on TV and call Coburn a pig ignorant dumbshit asshole, which is what I was thinking.

But I agree. The Dems need to make Coburn and his enablers poster children for what the GOP stands for. Sadly, they only people who seem to be talking about it are the folks on the Daily Show. That is realy pathetic.

[savalez]

7. Hartmann just talked about it. So did Big Ed.

[jwirr]

2. Harry needs to stay for Christmas.

[ladjf]

4. The Senate rules are beyond ridiculous. They must be changed.

There's no longer any way to maintain a legitimate Government now that the Republicans have learned the power of objection-ism. Better yet, somehow the Senate needs to be abolished. Perhaps a National referendum.

[musette_sf]

5. Another freaking DR expert in the Senate...

Undaunted, or perhaps inspired, by DR Frist's remote diagnosis powers, DR Coburn remotely diagnoses the 9/11 first responders, and finds them to be a bunch of gold-bricking union thugs who are just looking for a government payday.

:mad: :puke: :grr:

[avebury]

8. The real message that Coburn is sending First Responders

If there is another 9-11 type incident --- DON'T RESPOND because if you do we won't help you if you get sick.

[DesertFlower]

9. what kind of country do we live in where

heroes are denied health care?

don't ask me if i love my country. you might not like the answer.

[RickFromMN]

10. No good deed goes unpunished. Emergency workers take note.

I haven't researched the facts so I don't know the details...having said that.

This sends a very negative message to anyone who responds to an emergency.
If you get hurt while helping others during an emergency, don't expect help, in return.

I could extend this to say, you could be blamed by those you are helping if something goes wrong.

So much for Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34, and Luke 10:25-37...yes, I am both Religious and a socialist at heart.

People speak of "tough love" as long as they aren't the ones suffering.
Wait until people who espouse some Tea Party views need help...will they seek help or bear their suffering in silence?

[SoapBox]

11. CONTACT, CONTACT, CONTACT Dr. Death HERE

...from a prior post to another thread.

http://coburn.senate.gov/public/

Select "Contact" and call this creep out.

...tell your friends and loved ones to call/mail as well.

[damntexdem]

12. Why not fund the 9/11 Responders Bill by a Coburn tax?

Sorry, but the thread appeared right under a Carbon Tax thread.

[leftynyc]

13. Anyone want to bet

that faux news identifies him with a "D" behind his name?

[okieinpain]

14. he has no fear of being unelected in oklahoma. people around

here are too busy following oklahoma football and listening to mike mccarvell to vote.

[Canuckistanian]

15. Coburn seems to have a history of blocking bills that help victims

Injured vets, Haiti aid and now 9/11 responders.

Does he get off seeing people suffer?

[savalez]

16. Believe it or not Faux news seriously calls him out.

I hate Faux and never watch them but this video clip is worth looking at.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/shep-smith-zeroes-in-on-tom-coburn-for-opposing-911-first-responders-bill.php?ref=fpb

[TomClash]

17. I know some of these people

And I work next door to the site and have done so since 9/11.

I am too angry for words. To say what I want to say would get me both banned from DU and a visit from the FBI.

[tpsbmam]

18. Sharing everywhere I can share....all the usual online, LTE's, calls, making sure

every Republican I know hears about it from me. If the Dems aren't going to shame them into passing this bill, it's up to everyone who actually gives a damn about these men and women (unlike the Republicans in D.C.) to shout from the rooftops about this and shame the hell out of Coburn and the Reps.

[dflprincess]

19. According to my Congressman, Erik Paulsen, who has voted against funding numerous times

they "already have the money for their medical bills".

I was in NYC last May and visited St. Paul's Chapel which is pretty much right at the WTC site. It's where the responders would go to rest and get something to eat while working in the rubble.

There is a box in the chapel with a sign on it that asks for donations for the responders medical bills.

So I asked my Republican Congressman why, if there is plenty of money already allocated for the responders' care, is this box in St. Paul's and does he think the Episcopal Diocese of NYC is running some kind of scam on the people who drop by the chapel.

Needless to say I have yet to receive an answer from the creep.

(BTW if you are not familiar with St. Paul's and you get to NYC, that's where to go if you want to remember 9/11. They still have up missing flyers families posted and have left up a couple cots used by the responders. It's incredibly moving to go there. And, it was a historic site long before 9/11. It is part of the Trinity Parish, the building has been there since 1766. George Washington worshiped there.)

[harvey007]

20. He's going to be on every firefighter's and cop's sh*tlist

Not a very smart move.