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Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) — who has a led a Blue Dog rebellion to slow passage of health care reform — has been accused by pundits like Paul Krugman of the New York Times for using arguments that are incoherent and even contradictory in mounting their opposition.
One line of attack Rep. Ross has used in recent days certainly seems suspect: His assertion, made in at least two interviews, that he hasn’t had enough time to read the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 — a bill which was first circulated nearly two months ago.
In an interview this past weekend with Arkansas-based "Under the Dome," Rep. Ross told interviewer Roby Brock the following:
In April, during the so-called break from Congress, I hosted town hall meetings in 35 towns … The people that I represent were telling me that it’s time for us to slow down on the spending, it’s time for us to slow down on action, and take the time to make sure that we get it right. And to make sure that we actually have time to read the bills that we’re voting on. There’s time to do that.
Watch the video here — the comment comes at about 6:20:
The House legislation was unveiled in early June, more than a month and a half ago. According to The Hill, a draft was circulated on June 9 and a full version released on June 19.
As one might expect from complicated legislation, the bill is huge — you can read all 800+ pages here. But it would seem odd that the leader of the Blue Dogs’ Health Task Force and spokesperson for conservative Democrat opposition to the bill would not have been able to read the bill in that period of time.
Rep. Ross made the same the assertion in an interview for CNN on Friday, July 24. In that interview, he said:
The American people want us to slow down, they want us to get it right, and they want us to have time to read the bills we’re voting on.
Watch the video below — the comment is at the 2:18 mark:
He again repeats the assertion at the end of the CNN interview (at 4:54), saying:
We need to slow down, we need time to read this …
Are Rep. Ross’ staff really that slow at reading legislation?
4 Comments
What did he say when the Patriot Act came up, for which Repubs gave Dems shit for wanting to, oh, I dunno, actually READ the thing. I believe there were all of 48 hrs, at most.
And how come Ross is so against this bill if he hasn’t READ IT??
Yes, I’m shouting. Frustration will do that to a person./s
God chose me to tell Mike Ross to STFU and start reading.
Have you ever tried to get through 800 pages sounding out the words?
There is a video of Conyers saying this…
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” During his speech at a National Press Club luncheon, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), questioned the point of lawmakers reading the health care bill.
“I love these members, they get up and say, ‘Read the bill,’” said Conyers.
“What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?” “
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/…..8;print=on