Castle Votes No On Healthcare Reform

Filed in Delaware by on July 17, 2009

The News Journal reported this through Twitter.

Rep. Mike Castle voted against health-care reform legislation that passed the House Education and Labor Committee this morning.

The committee – one of three in the House working on the bill – passed its measure on a 26-22 vote. Three Democrats joined Republicans in opposing the bill.

The legislation is designed to ensure health care coverage for 97 percent of Americans and prevent increases in premiums or denials of care because of pre-existing conditions.

Castle had expressed concerns about the overall bill in an interview this week, saying he opposed its proposed surtax targeting the wealthiest individuals as well as the overall cost of the bill, which is about a net $1 trillion over the next 10 years.

Did Castle ever express concern over the cost of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, which cost at least 50% more than covering all Americans for health care? What do you want to bet that Castle will attend a big ceremony taking credit for the bill once it passes?

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Comments (28)

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  1. jason330 says:

    Shocking. What a d-bag. BTW – I read his concerns in this mornings Dead Treet Edition and they amounted to “I don’t think rich people should be singled out.”

    What a riot. Is he saying that he would have voted for it if EVERYONE had to pay an additional 1% more income tax? I doubt it.

  2. farsider says:

    Who cares why this is great news. Perhaps there is hope that this disaster of a bill can be avoided.

  3. I agree it is a good start. We need the Blue Dogs to keep their word and stick together. We can have real reform or we can have this snake oil, but we can’t have both.

  4. anon says:

    If this bill doesn’t pass, the world won’t end. The middle class will get jobs in the recovery, and they will get on their employer’s health care plan, paying a little more for it and taking a hit on their standard of living.

    Last year they had to cut back on the granit countertops and the trip to Disney World; next year they might have to cancel the day care or decide “one car or two cars.” And the dopes will blame their loss of prosperity on Obama and never tie it to the Blue Dogs vote to block health care.

    And the poor will keep on dying of preventable diseases, same as always.

  5. anon says:

    The only snake oil is the venom coming from the hard right, corporate supporters. Anderson are you a multi millionaire? Are you even close? Why do you hate poor, working class/middle class citizens so much? Am hoping you loose your job, loose your house, loose your health care and end up on the soup line, so you can understand how tough many of people are struggling.

    Castle should be frog marched out of Delaware, but he wont be, cuz too many demorats like Mike Denn and Joe Biden continue to support the corporate whore/stooge.

  6. Yes, David and farsider, we must protect the status quo at all costs. Screw those 70% of Americans who want a change!

  7. XStryker says:

    God forbid people who’ve recovered from skin cancer be allowed to ever get health insurance (or a job that provides it) ever again!

  8. anon says:

    The republican party’s only real purposes are to protect the upper 2 or 3% of Americans and corporate wealth. What is astonishing is they are able to pretend to having a moral code that is nothing more than hypocricy that blinds a few mindless souls like David and Prozack. Oh well.

  9. anon says:

    Gotta give Castle credit for saying the tax on those millionaires kept him from voting for the bill. Should be a real good campaign theme for the GOP in 2010. We protect the rich.

  10. delacrat says:

    What did you expect? Castle’s in the top 1%.

    http://pfds.opensecrets.org/N00009775_2007.pdf

  11. delacrat says:

    Michael Castle’s net worth was between $3,193,155 and $8,773,000 in 2007,

    http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400070

  12. Thanks for the info, delacrat. It certainly shows the motivation for both votes – yes for tax cuts on the wealthy and no for tax increases on the wealthy to help the 97%.

  13. Delaware Republican says:

    Logical and workable health care reform has to be “paid for” in the President’s words.

    Let’s see who pays taxes today and how do you justify those who carry the load now paying more and more and more.

    Who Pays Income Taxes? See Who Pays What

    For Tax Year 2006

    Percentiles Ranked by AGI
    AGI Threshold on Percentiles
    Percentage of Federal Personal Income Tax Paid

    Top 1%
    $388,806
    39.89%

    Top 5%
    $153,542
    60.14%

    Top 10%
    $108,904
    70.79%

    Top 25%
    $64,702
    86.27%

    Top 50%
    $31,987
    97.01%

    Bottom 50%
    <$31,987
    2.99%

    Note: AGI is Adjusted Gross Income
    Source: Internal Revenue Service

  14. anon says:

    The neo con democrats/neo con republicans must answer the citizens. You are either with the citizens or with the for profit robber baron corporations making the Mafia so proud!

    DemocracyNow.org tonight. Howard Dean on with his new book. A single payer doctor from Physicans for National Health Care, PNHP.org. Wendell Potter the highest ranking corporate public relations whistleblower formerly of CIGNA tells the horrible american truth.

    Health Care is the number 1 issue in the country. Corporate lobbyists from insurance company out in full force (recently hired another 385,000 in DC along with 40,000 on K Street. Many are former congress persons or congressional aides!
    Millions of dollars flowing in the DC above ground cesspool known as our Congress and Senate.

    Good work Delacrat! someone please post Castles campaign contributors! You know, the bankers, chemical, insurance, big pharma, multi national corporate contributors, so all Delaware can determine whose tune Castle dances too?

  15. farsider says:

    If everyone believes that the care is too expensive, why not take advantage of it and build a hospital, hell build a hundred. Undercut the competition, make a profit, reduce the cost by reduceing the charges of the suppliers. Why attack the payers because the cost of the care they are paying for is too high? Go after the providers. The reason is the intent is to take over the providers then choke the suppliers. This is not the behavior of a Republic. This is the behavior of socialists and tyrants. This will not end until the government controls our entire economy and every facet of our lives. That is worth defeating, at all costs.

  16. Tom S says:

    Our great Joe Biden recently said we need to spend money to save money, so maybe Mike thinks everyone needs to vote “no” to get the bill passed.

    I guess we should ignore the CBO’s comments which were not included in the govt controlled media. We can’t afford this the way it’s written now.

    All citizens should have healthcare. The govt isn’t the way to do it. Ask the vets who use the VA in south Florida.

    But, I can go along with a bill that requires the govt employees to participate in it also.

  17. farsider says:

    I can’t wait till the ACLU ends up suing the government on behalf of someeone who does not believe in modern medicine. Objecting to their requirement to carry insurance against their religious beliefs.

  18. farsider says:

    After all insurance is anti-Islamic

  19. jason330 says:

    Are cartoon birds flying around your head?

  20. farsider says:

    No just an observer of the insanity actually around me. Mostly I see our constitution shredded and our republic in doubt. I see the evil in what is being done. I see that you all have an imaginary world where everyone agrees with you, everyone wants what you want for them. I see that we should still have a choice in how we manager our lives. I see that the expansion of a failing program to a larger population is a failing idea.

  21. delacrat says:

    Farsider, which failing program are you talking about? war-on-terror, warrantless wiretaps ?

  22. farsider says:

    I think this is about government healthcare.

  23. Democrat Health Plan “Wholly Unacceptable”
    July 15, 2009

    Business News

    For Immediate Release Contact: Karen Kerrigan, July 15, 2009

    Small Business Groups Calls Democrat Health Care Plan “Wholly Unacceptable”

    Washington, D.C. – An advocacy organization representing entrepreneurs said the health care plan proposed by House Democrats would punish small business owners who are already struggling under harsh economic conditions, and do little to make health insurance more affordable for their workforce and the uninsured. According to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council), the costly plan would accelerate job loss and lead to business closures as the employer mandate and excessive taxes and penalties would make it financially unfeasible for many firms to compete.

    “It’s extraordinary that House Democrats continue to advance this wholly unacceptable scheme. Either they are dreadfully out-of-touch, or just plain contemptuous of small business owners,” said SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan.

    According to Kerrigan, many small businesses are struggling to access and keep health insurance on top of juggling other financial pressures during the rough recession. Imposing taxes and a costly mandate during a period when they are already cutting jobs and investment is economically foolish.

    “Why are House Democrats trying to ply more capital and resources out of the private sector when businesses and the economy need every penny it can get it hands on?” asked Kerrigan.

  24. anoni says:

    how much treatment should a 76 year old alcoholic with a brain tumor get?

  25. Geezer says:

    “how much treatment should a 76 year old alcoholic with a brain tumor get?”

    More than you.

  26. anoni says:

    spoken like a true liberal.

    and it’s definitely what he will get.

  27. Geezer says:

    Yes, he will, because he’s also rich. Even if he didn’t get his government health care, he’d pay out of pocket — which is exactly what you mindless conservatives (not all conservatives, just those like you) say you prefer. Which is it, assholi?

    PS: I’m not a liberal, I just hate stupid people, which includes most “conservatives.” Like you.

  28. anoni says:

    American Spectator ^ | 7.20.09 @ 3:28PM | By Philip Klein

    The Mayo Clinic, which President Obama has touted as a model for the rest of the health care system, has delivered a blistering critique of the House Democratic health care bill: “Although there are some positive provisions in the current House Tri-Committee bill – including insurance for all and payment reform demonstration projects – the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients. In fact, it will do the opposite.”