I didn’t see this coming: House Republican leaders brought a bill to the floor that raised the debt ceiling without attaching strings such as domestic discretionary spending cuts or entitlement reforms. Speaker John Boehner broke the news to fellow House Republicans yesterday morning; later he explained to reporters that whip counts showed leaders could not get 218 GOP votes behind plans to tie a debt ceiling hike to a bill on reversing a military pension cut by extending the “sequester” to certain Medicare payments.
Republicans wrangled big concessions out of the 2011 showdown over raising the debt ceiling. That deal led to the “sequester” spending cuts that went into effect in early 2013; some of them will stay in place for years. However, the foot-dragging over raising the debt ceiling during last October’s partial shutdown of the federal government didn’t advance the GOP policy agenda and hurt the party in Congressional polling, at least temporarily. President Barack Obama had vowed not to negotiate over future debt ceiling increases.
Yesterday afternoon, House leaders attached language raising the country’s debt ceiling to an unrelated bill, which passed by 221 votes to 201. Iowans Bruce Braley (IA-01) and Dave Loebsack (IA-02) were among the 193 Democrats who joined just 28 Republicans to pass the bill. Steve King (IA-04) was among the 199 GOP House members who opposed it. His official comment is after the jump.
The roll call shows that Iowa Republican Tom Latham (IA-03) was not present for the debt ceiling vote. He also missed earlier votes yesterday. I have not seen any explanation for his absence but will update this post with details, as available. UPDATE: Latham’s Congressional office sent out a press release on February 11 about a Medicare bill he supports. I’ve posted it after the jump. The statement was datelined “Des Moines,” but it’s not clear whether Latham himself was in Iowa rather than Washington.
Conservative groups are already calling for Boehner to be replaced. It will be interesting to see whether he can remain speaker throughout this election year.
Steve King statement, February 11:
King Votes Against Debt Limit Suspension
Washington, DC – Congressman Steve King released the following statement after voting against S. 540, The Temporary Debt Limit Extension Act. This Act suspends the debt ceiling through March 15, 2015.
“This bill fails the American people by both suspending the debt limit and increasing spending,” said King. “We are handing the President and Democrats exactly what they want – essentially a borrowed, blank check for the rest of the year – ‘no strings attached.’
The die was cast when last year’s shutdown was over. We already knew this outcome was coming. I have long said that I’d vote for a debt ceiling increase if the House and Senate passed a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution and send it to the States for ratification. We need to be on a path to balance. It is time to make smart decisions with the money of hard and smart working Americans.”
Representative Tom Latham press release, February 11:
Iowa Congressman Tom Latham Joins Bipartisan Effort To Protect Seniors From High Unexpected Medical Costs
Des Moines, IA – Iowa Congressman Tom Latham highlighted his support for bipartisan and bicameral legislation that protects America’s seniors by ending a punishing Medicare policy that is causing seniors to unknowingly be hit with large, unfair costs after receiving necessary post-acute medical care.
Currently Medicare policy dictates that a patient must have an inpatient hospital stay of at least three days in order for Medicare to cover post-hospitalization nursing care. Patients that receive hospital care on “observation status” do not qualify for this benefit and they get billed, even if their hospital stay lasts longer than three days.
“While in a hospital, seniors should only have to concentrate on getting better,” said Latham. “They shouldn’t have to worry about huge medical bills threatening their life savings because of quirks created by complicated Medicare policies,” said Latham. “This bipartisan legislation is proof that this is not a political issue – but an issue of healthcare fairness for America’s seniors.”
The bill that Latham has cosponsored in the House with Democratic Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney, H.R. 1179 the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act, would allow for the time patients spend in the hospital under observation status to count toward the 3-day hospital stay for coverage of skilled nursing care, and hence, be covered by Medicare.
H.R. 1179 has companion legislation, S.569, introduced in the United States Senate by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown.
“I am proud to join with Congressman Courtney and Senator Brown to protect seniors from this ongoing problem. This legislation and effort is a positive sign that even those from different political parties can set aside their differences to find common ground solutions to the concerns all Medicare participants share.”