Bill Clinton to address healthcare at House Democrats retreat

Former President Bill Clinton will address House Democrats at their annual retreat next week on healthcare, an issue closely identified with his presidency.

Clinton is likely to give the keynote speech on healthcare on Friday, the retreat’s final day, and may take on a more prominent role in discussing the issue at the retreat than even President Barack Obama, according to House leadership aides involved in the planning.

Clinton’s appearance, House aides said, is specifically designed to remind House Democrats of the perils associated with killing healthcare reform — a phenomenon that rocked Clinton’s first term and contributed to Democrats' losing power in both chambers the next year.

The choice to have Clinton deliver the keynote healthcare remarks comes at critical time for House Democrats.

Democratic leaders are beginning the process of merging two very different House and Senate healthcare bills, and a number of factors are contributing to a growing belief that the final bill will very closely mirror the legislation the Senate passed on Christmas Eve after month’s worth of painstaking negotiations to produce 60 votes...

SOURCE: The Hill

Latest Schedule

U.S. Senate doesn’t meet again in formal session until Jan. 20th.

The House is scheduled to meet at 12:00 p.m. on Jan. 12th (next Tuesday).

SOURCE: John Cooper

Will Georgia Nullify National Health Care?

Georgia State Representative Calvin Hill has introduced House Resolution 1086 (HR1086), which proposes a Georgia State Constitutional Amendment “so as to provide that no law or rule or regulation shall compel any person, employer, or health care provider to participate in any health care system and to authorize persons and employers to pay directly for lawful health care services without penalties or fines; to provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and for other purposes.”

If approved by both houses of the Georgia legislature, it will go to a ballot vote for final approval by the citizens of the state.

Georgia joins Ohio, Florida and a number of other states considering similar state Constitutional Amendments to effectively nullify, or resist any future national health care plan...

SOURCE: Tenth Amendment Center