Issue #94

by Art Kelly

1. A total of 99 representatives are sponsoring or cosponsoring 6 different bills in the House to completely repeal Obamacare, while 20 senators are sponsoring or cosponsoring 2 similar bills in the Senate.

These bills and the number of cosponsors are:

HR 4901 by Rep. Jerry Moran (KS) and 12 cosponsors
HR 4903 by Rep. Michele Bachmann (MN) and 57 cosponsors
HR 4919 by Rep. Connie Mack (FL) and 27 cosponsors
HR 4972 by Rep. Steve King (IA) and 88 cosponsors
HR 5005 by Rep. Parker Griffith (AL) and 18 cosponsors
HR 5216 by Rep. Todd Akin (MO) and 1 cosponsor
S 3147 by Senator David Vitter (LA)
S 3152 by Senator Jim DeMint (SC) and 20 cosponsors

The sponsor of HR 5005, Congressman Parker Griffith, was defeated for re-nomination in the June 1 Alabama GOP Primary. Griffith, who had switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, received just 33% of the vote to 51% for County Commissioner Mo Brooks and 16% for businessman Les Phillip.

Also in Alabama, a Democrat who voted against Obamacare, Congressman Artur Davis, lost his party’s primary for governor, receiving only 38% of the vote to 62% for Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks. Although Davis is an African-American, most of the black vote went to Sparks, who heavily criticized Davis for opposing Obamacare.

A previous issue of this newsletter listed all of the sponsors and cosponsors of legislation to repeal Obamacare. Since then, 21 new House members have become cosponsors of one or more of these bills:

Rodney Alexander (LA)
Roscoe Bartlett (MD)
Judy Biggert (IL)
Brian Bilbray (CA)
Jason Chaffetz (UT)
Mike Coffman (CO)
Michael Conaway (TX)
John Culberson (TX)
Jeff Flake (AZ)
Brett Guthrie (KY)
Leonard Lance (NJ)
John Linder (GA)
Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO)
Thaddeus McCotter (MI)
Sue Myrick (NC)
Ron Paul (TX)
Dana Rohrabacher (CA)
Cliff Stearns (FL)
Lee Terry (NE)
Glenn Thompson (PA)
Mac Thornberry (TX)

No new senators have become cosponsors of legislation to repeal Obamacare.

In addition to the legislation to completely repeal Obamacare, one Senate bill and three House bills have been introduced to repeal part of the new health care law. Also, eight bills have been introduced in the House to repeal Obamacare and replace it with conservative alternatives.

Among these is HR 5425, a GOP leadership bill, introduced by Congressman Wally Herger (CA), the ranking Republican on the Health Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee. Among the 30 cosponsors are Minority Leader John Boehner (OH), Minority Whip Eric Cantor (VA), Conference Chairman Mike Pence (IN), and Campaign Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (TX).

But Congressman Steve King (IA), the sponsor of HR 4972, which has 88 cosponsors, stated that conservatives “should be for 100% repeal. The replacement component of it should be a separate question because it blurs the issue. Once you tie a comprehensive replacement to a repeal bill, you’ve guaranteed it’s going to bog down.”

2. Kathleen Patten, former chief operating officer at United Seniors Association, recalls working with the legendary Art Linkletter in a Newsmax article, A Friend and Teacher Remembered.

Last week’s issue of this newsletter reported on Linkletter’s death at age 97.