A group of conservative senators is about to embark on a rhetorical crusade in defense of the free market as the best solution for America’s healthcare system. Some of the participating senators outlined the effort in a visit to the Heritage Foundation.
The participating senators, all Republicans, are Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bob Corker of Tennessee, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Mel Martinez of Florida, John Thune of South Dakota and David Vitter of Louisiana. Here are video clips of their appearance at Heritage:
Reactions to the speech also are making their way onto the Internet. Here are video commentaries from: Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.; Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif.; Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y.; Steve Clemons of the New America Foundation
Sen. Jim DeMint has been one of the leading critics of special-interest earmarks in federal spending bills, and now he has taken his crusade against such pork to the Internet. His campaign site features a petition dubbed “100,000 Strong For Earmark Reform.”
DeMint, R-S.C., discussed the effort today in an interview with Heading Right Radio. “It’s a way for chairmen to get votes for bad bills,” he said of earmarking. DeMint also called attention to a new congressional group called Reagan21.
Producer’s note: Through a partnership with BlogTalkRadio, AirCongress is promoting federal policy and political content produced by the company’s Internet-based talk-show hosts.
As the debate over the State Children’s Health Insurance Program heated up this week, Sen. Jim DeMint took to the floor to make the case against broadening the program to cover more people. The South Carolina Republican condemned the idea as an unwise move toward socialized medicine, and his staff spruced up the speech by producing an online video around it.
“Who do you think should be making your healthcare decisions?” the text at the end of the video says. “Politicians in Washington? Or you? Don’t believe the big government promises; demand individual ownership.”
Two Senate Republicans today made the case for new rules to govern the disclosure of special-interest spending earmarks, but their request for unanimous consent to consider the proposed rules was defeated. Here are video excerpts of the floor speeches by Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma:
DeMint
“My proposal, S. Resolution 123, creates a new Senate rule that requires public disclosure of the earmarks contained in bills passed by committee. This disclosure includes the name of the member requesting the earmark, the name and address of the intended recipient of the earmark, the purpose of the earmark, and a certification that the requesting member and his or her spouse have no financial interest in the requeted earmark. These are simple transparency ideas that the American people need.”
Coburn
“There shouldn’t be one earmark, one special favor, one indication of anything done at any level, authorization or appropriation, that the American people aren’t fully aware of who has the vested interest in that. … The American people deserve transparency. The American people should have transparency. And the only way we can truly be held accountable by the American people is if they can see everything that’s going on.”
Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., objected to the unanimous consent request.
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