What Roy Blunt Used To Think About Long, Complicated Health Care Bills

Yesterday, in an attempt to deflect attention from his failure to deliver on his guarantee for a GOP health care alternative, Roy Blunt echoed some of the rather pathetic attacks we've heard from Republicans about legislation this year being too long, and too hard for them to read. Blunt's excuse didn't make any sense -- it's completely irrelevant to the question of why he's chosen not to produce a bill. Plus, if he thinks bills don't have to be long or complicated, he should introduce a very short and simple bill to prove everyone wrong. 

Moreover, Blunt's rhetoric ignores his own history of ramrodding complex and controversial pieces legislation through the House. For instance, in 2003, Blunt and House Republicans pushed through their still-not-paid-for Medicare prescription drug bill without letting people read it.  Here's what Roy Blunt told Congress Daily on November 19, 2003:

"We're going to be working hard with them to answer their questions. We don't expect any of them to have a chance to read a 1,100-page bill."

Oh, the irony. 

I don't have any illusions about Members of Congress staying up late, reading bills line by line. It's impractical, and would turn their brains to mush -- that's why they hire staff members smarter than they are. Blunt knows that too, and he's being more than a little hypocritical with this line of attack. 

On a related note, the floor vote on this same bill was held open by Blunt and House leaders a few days later for two hours and fifty-three minutes -- the longest recorded tally since electronic voting began, according to CQ Weekly. 

Jo Ann Emerson was one of 25  Republicans to vote against the bill, after Blunt and GOP leaders blocked her attempts to allow the importation of prescription drugs.   Incredibly, a furious Roy Blunt called her house at 4:15 a.m., waking up her husband.  Emerson was actually still in the Capitol, hiding on the Democratic side of the House floor as Blunt and his team tried to track her down.

An incredible summary of the strongarm tactics employed by Blunt and the GOP leadership was written two years later by The Hill's Bob Cusack.  An archived version (on an admittedly scary-looking "Ground Zero for Tom Delay website) may be found here.

Image credit: The Heritage Foundation