Bob Corker: Health Care Bill Process Lacks Integrity

By: Kevin Hechtkopf
Topics: Health Care

Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said on Monday that the process by which Democratic senators are moving toward passage of a health care bill has "lacked integrity."

The Democrats' bill got 60 votes early this morning to break a Republican filibuster, setting the stage for a vote on final passage Thursday.

Appearing on CBS' "The Early Show" today, Corker admitted that the bill had cleared a big hurdle, but not without also slamming the Democrats.

"I think the process is something that has lacked integrity," he told "Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez. "We've taken creative accounting to a level I never thought was imaginable. I think this bill has so many fundamental flaws. No doubt in a bill this long there are some good things in it, but the way this bill has been constructed as it relates to the accounting, the trickery and certainly some of the last-minute deals that were made, shouldn't make the American people feel very good about Congress and that's regretful."

Corker specially zeroed in on concessions made to gain the support of specific senators with appropriations directed toward their states in the bill.

"It's not appropriate that my state or your state or other states around this country pick up the tab for Nebraska, and something similar was done in Vermont, just so two people would sign on to a bill that otherwise they would not have supported," Corker said.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

You can watch more from the interview in the video above at left.

Kevin Hechtkopf
Kevin Hechtkopf is CBSNews.com's politics editor.
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by roach9703 December 21, 2009 4:50 PM EST: The Democrats will win the Health Care Battle of 2009-10, but lost the war.
The bill is at best, bad policy.
1. There is scant evidence, other than by draconian cuts in physician reimbursement rates, of cost control. Whatever cost reductions there are, will be offset by a lack of access to doctors. Who in their right mind will do business at a loss? The issues of claim adjustment are not addressed. Hospitals complain of a lack of resources now. How is this being addressed?
2.
Fraud has always been a tempting option that many use. The reduced reimbursement environment will only make it worse.
The revenues are more cost savings than actual tax increases. Consumption taxes are not even addressed as a source of revenue.
Can we force people to pay for insurance simply because they are alive?
This is not like car insurance. If you choose to buy a car, then one has to have insurance. Buying a car is an option. But, since the rise of abortion suicide ethic, being alive is less important, and thought subject to penalties and taxation?
Finally, the specter of apparent bribes and kickbacks may give little moral impetus to this ill begotten enterprise.; Reply to this comment


by starleo146 December 21, 2009 1:29 PM EST: Who is this Senator think he is fooling? Does this Senator remember the back room deal for the prescription bill behind closed doors came out and said reconciliation is how this vote will go and lo and behold a big fat donut hole of $2500. for every senior who buys prescription, no dealing with the pharmaceuticals for lower prices, how many seniors on fixed incomes were raped in the pocket book because of that bill. We do what we have to do when dealing with obstructionist and lover of big business. I would not doubt for a moment his buddies on wall street are holding this country hostage for lending to make Obama look bad again. Don't let them get away with this lay the blame where it is at the feet of the 40 republicans. If they had defeated this bill can you imagine what they would have said about themselves. Make them accountable for not having a great bill, with the town hall meetings the tea bag rallies the Dick Armey and Glen Beck annihilating democrats at every turn all to bring Obama down.; Reply to this comment

by amacd385 December 21, 2009 11:19 AM EST

Let?s use the Health Care bill as an Obama ?teaching moment? --- not him ?teaching us? but us ?teaching him?!

This 'Health Care' (sic) bill reminds me of the illogic of the Vietnam War:

"It became necessary to destroy the bill in order to save it"

And, in fact, the reason that this illogic applied then in the Vietnam War "abroad", and now in the corporatist oppression of health care "at home" is precisely the same reason --- that a ruling-elite corporate/financial/militarist EMPIRE makes all decisions, and not the people of America.

As Hannah Arendt presciently warned from her direct experience with empires:

"Empire abroad (always) entails tyranny at home".

Let?s teach Obama a critical lesson that he needs to understand. The famous old phrase was, ?What goes around, comes around?. But today, ?What goes around, comes home to roost? as his own minister tried to teach him.

Let?s tell Obama:

?If you are only going to pose as another front-man for the ruling-elite Global corporate/financial/militarist EMPIRE that controls our country --- by hiding behind the façade of its two-party ?Vichy? sham of democracy --- then that?s not the ?hope? and ?change? that we voted for.

We?ve been fed that old ?Okie Doke? (as you called it) since the Vietnam War, for forty years!

Now if you really believe that times they are a changing, and that you don?t need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowin, and that ?Yes we can? confront Empire, then why don?t you give us a chance, and help lead us in a second American Revolution for democracy against Empire --- cause if you?re not going to lead, then at least ?get out of the way?.?

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine

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by lmartink December 21, 2009 1:10 PM EST: Your diatribe is a disconnected diatribe of poor logic, and is virtually incoherent.


by starleo146 December 21, 2009 1:39 PM EST: What made this bill not all we needed was the republicans who planted there feet into the ground to defeat Obama. They knew after his campaign of getting health care bill to defeat that would be to defeat Obama, never once considering if we help make this a tremendous bill, and for once think of the country and lets get it done, No No is all they know and just look back at every bill passed where the Republicans came down on there vote. NO NO we could have done so much more only if they could see that. Forget it Republican you say you have just begun to fight, instead of saying peace we will work together for the sake of our country. Yea I know the biggest joke of 2009