Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D) Ohio is holding fast to his beliefs concerning the Obama Health Plan. He will vote nay on the plan, even after arm twisting on the part of President Obama. He voted against the plan the first time around as well. Congressman Kucinich appears to be a rare politician who votes his conscience. Some people wonder if Congress even has a conscience.
Not even a ride on Air Force One with the President, who was heading to Ohio, convinced Kucinich to switch sides and support the President. President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi need every vote, it is that close on the Health Bill. But, Kucinich is sticking to his guns that this plan is nothing short of a sellout to the Health Care industry.
When appearing with Obama on the platform, the crowd implored Congressman Kucinich to vote yes and this was reinforced immediately after by the President. Kucinich has not officially said no, but it would be a surprise if the Ohio congressman changed his mind to support the President.
Congressman Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich are the few breaths of fresh air in Congress that vote their conscience. If only more were like them, the country might have fewer problems.
Congressman Kucinich always votes for the people.
He is indeed a rare breed.Unlike a sellout Senator named Brown who I hope is looking for a Job.He and his liberal wife will probably become lobbyists in Washington.Enough about Brown .
Thank You Dennis
Congressman Kucinich responses to his constituents’ wish. I’m glad you have taken a stand in line with our wishes. I wonder if others representatives hear the cries out there.
Thank You Dennis
deh de dehr…let’s just give tax breaks to the rich and drill baby drill…ALL OF YOU ARE IGNORING YOUR CONSCIENCE. That is why Paul and Kucinich can’t be president…they are too good for this EVIL platform!!!
Thank God Dennis Kucinich has a conscience.
Thank you Dennis
on this issue of great impact and importance to the constituents I can finally agree with your no vote position. Maybe you’re not so bad
Thank God for men of conscience. I hope more Democrats will stop looking at what the President wants and vote for what the people want. Are you listening, Ben Nelson?
Mr. Kucinich is letting the perfect be the enemy of the good…If we can get the main reforms in now we can build on a public option or single payer. All you teabaggers need to realize he is farther left than Obama ever will be. If the spine is not there to go all the way, Kucinich, you must accept that fact, but do not throw the baby out with the bath water!
The “main reforms” you mention are completely unconstitutional. I am by nature a rule follower and am contemplating civil disobedience because congress is acting in an unconstitutional manner and completely ignoring the will of the people. The ONLY reason they even have the votes to ram this down our throats is because of all the shady backroom deals that have gone on. Wake up.
Thankyou ( Mr. Kucinich and Mr. Paul and all of you )for standing up to what could be a bigger disaster than what we already have with healthcare. NOt that some of the items should not be considered but let us not do this for the sake of the President (whom I voted for) saving face. As a citizen I am not too sure who really has our well being in mind and not just to keep a political job. This morning I heard Dick Army comment : Why should people be forced to buy insurance. I am recollecting Part D of which I stayed out as long as I could, because I felt it was like a communistic thing to tell us we had to have a Part D.
And as it is, the premiums keep going up as well as the scripts. If anything modification of what is in this huge bill should be done, however, with the DEADLINE hanging over our heads I am a little frightened as to the results. Politically speaking, I think I’ll take a Bill Maher approach. Again, I think Congress is being railroaded by themselves.
Kuninich votes hurts the very people he claims to help. Tell me how a no vote is going to help someone without health insurance. Oh by the way congressman that same plan you have is in the bill. His vote to me is no different too one form the GOP. Hope the people in Ohio get smart and vote someone in that will vote to help and not push thier own agenda.
Dennis Kucinich is absolutely right, and inspiring to those of us who wish he was president. Whatever happened to Obama’s promises that if you have a health plan you like, you can keep it, that anyone earning less than $250,000 will not see their taxes increase, and that we will have no limits according to pre-existing conditions. This bill contravenes all promises:
1. If you have a plan you like, but Obama thinks it’s too expensive (this could be 40% of all plans, especially in high-cost places like New York) it will be taxed out of existence or you will be unable to afford the new tax. This new tax is not indexed to the increase in health care costs, so soon everyone with a workable plan will pay taxes on it.
2. If you have a cheap, god-awful plan provided by your employer, you are stuck with it (and many with good plans will be downgraded to such plans). You will not be eligible for the “exchange” (should it ever be put in place), although you will pay for it (for others only). Your co-pays and uncovered expenses will rise exponentially.
3. If you don’t have insurance, you will be forced to buy from the rapacious insurance companies, whether you can afford it or not (Obama will dictate what you and your family can afford). If you refuse, you will be criminalized and fined. If you have the bad luck to be older and uninsured, you will pay 300% higher premiums. The only other condition for which you can be surcharged is smoking (not even obesity); how is age not a pre-existing condition?
4. This bill is a disaster for New York (my home state), as well as all other states with large populations of illegal immigrants. Refusing to cover these people does not prevent them from becoming sick or injured, and our public hospitals are their providers of last resort–they cannot be turned away.
Meanwhile, Obama has cut funds to such hospitals meant to reimburse unpaid care, claiming the new plan will cover everyone, patently (and explicitly) not so.
Meanwhile, special interests hold the rest of the country hostage: States are bankrupt, the largest budget item for most is Medicaid, but under this bill Nebraska alone will have their Medicaid tab picked up by the feds, which everyone else will pay for. Whatever happened to equal protection under the law?
Failure to fully support a very strong public option is a disaster. What we really need is a single-payer system, like every other civilized nation on earth, but this plan is just Potemkin healthcare, a shameless and cynical fiasco designed to let the cowardly congress and president “declare victory and go home.”
What a refreshing and encouraging article!
His no vote whether by conscience or not goes against what he believes in medical drugs. By voting down this bill drugs will cost more not less. Go job Dennis keep these fools thinking you are voting with your conscience. You are a politiician you don’t have a voting conscience.
Go Dennis! Wow! What is wrong with your average representative? Get rid of the GOP and DNC, or let them wallow along side of atleast 2 more parties.
Whenever Kucinich votes with Ron Paul, he smells like a rose.
Apparently he is poised to do just that.
He’ll impress me if he follows thru on principle, even if his principle is a bit out of whack.
The jury is still out though.
Without compromise, nothing gets done, if he votes NO and the bill fails then nothing got done, nothing changes. We can’t ask for perfection, especially the first time around, but get something done for crying out loud… vote yes!!!
Kucinich (along with a handful of others) is one of the few true progressives we have.
Wow, this Kucinich is a rare breed and I like it….so what wrong with the rest of those reDUMBlicans and DUMocrates in this country. Follow your mind and not the political gangz!!!
Kudos to Congressman Kucinich who is still one of the few representatives with integrity in a mostly criminal (Federal?) enviroment. Wish we had a representative in our State like him. Our congressmen would sell their Grandmothers into white slavery if they thought it would mean a few extra dollars and a little more power added to their already very large seats.
Where do all you liberal, entitlement needy, lazy bums get the idea that this country changed from the LAND OF OPPORTUNITY to the LAND OF ENTITLEMENTS? Obama only wants to get his face on Mnt Rushmore and nothing else.
For The Truth- Where does it say in the Counstitution or the Bill of Right that you are entitled to welfare, healthcare and unemployment? Why do you feel that others must pay for your multiple children from multiple parents, your drug addictions, your abortions due to stupidity and bad upbringing, your lose of a job and/or your desire to stay on welfare indefinitely? Why do you feel that people who work hard, soemtimes through 2 and 3 jobs should be taxed more just because they make 200,000 dollars a year? They are the ones scrapping their knuckles not the lazy unemployed (by choice in a lot of circumstances)bums draining society by having 5 children while having no job. You disgust me.
Kcrossen- you are really a funny bum. You use teabagger as an insult. Why when someone criticizes a person who disagrees with obama he is a teabagger not a normal American citizen who just happens to have a different opinion? Why is it that: if you criticize obama you are rascist? if you do not agree with how Israel conducts itself you are antisemetic? if you do not agree with illegal immigrants getting amnesty and benefits on the dime of hard working AMERICANS you are inhumane and rascist? Why can’t Americans, who want to work hard, raise a good healthy family, live in a safe community, not have the government, run by liberals, control their lives and their welfare?
I live in Massachusetts, the state upon which much of the healthcare reform is based, and I can honestly say that in this instance, a compromise is worse than doing nothing. Without taking away the insurance companies’ anti-trust exemption and providing for a public option, the result of this bill will be higher premiums and worse coverage for most. This is not a situation where Congress can compromise, unless Congress also removes the provision requiring people to have insurance. If they don’t, without the public option, insurance companies will realize that people have nowhere else to go and will jack up prices (as they have done in Mass).
At this point, Obama seems willing to pass anything that says ‘healthcare bill’ on it with no concern for the substance of the bill. I am glad that there are representatives like Kucinich who will not allow this to happen.
I voted for Obama and I am horribly disappointed that this is how he has displayed his leadership. He’s better than the alternative, but not a real difference maker.
Thank God we have one Dennis Kucinich who have conscience and stand up to what he beleives in. Thank you Sir.
You have to admire this guy who has the guts to stand up for what he believes in. Regardless of what we believe, I just wish we had 434 more representatives who had the guts to take a stand against not only a bill he does not believe in, but against the power of the president of the united states. what a guy. This latest rendition of the health care, health insurance and student loan takeover is the most dangerous bill to our economy in my lifetime. Pelosi and Reid are going to ruin this president and his chances for reelection and probably lose 50-60 house seats in the process. This win at all costs attitude that Pelosi has is harming our country. We need leadership not bullying and sneaky back room deals. Lets kill this conglomeration of bills and get back on a common sense approach.
It’s really a shame that all you nice people have been misled. Congressman Kucinich held a press conference yesterday (following his ride on Air Force One) and announced that he now SUPPORTS Obama’s health care bill. Don’t know what promises were made during that flight, but whatever they were, they were enough to make this “guy who has the guts to stand up for what be believes in” make a complete 180. So the price of Dennis Kucinich’s conscience and honor was….a ride on a pretty plane?