Tim Kaine Presents Birth Control Compromise

Flushed with Pride

Virginia U.S. Senate candidate and former Governor and Tim Kaine (D) has presented an idea that he is sure will satisfy the Catholic church over new regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that require employers to provide abortion and birth control coverage in health insurance policies. Kaine proposes to close highway rest stops across the nation, and use the money saved to fund birth control pills and abortifacents for those employees of institutions that have moral objections to paying for health insurance policies that provide these products and services. “I am demonstrating how my leadership in Virginia transportation issues can benefit the nation,” said Kaine in a brief statement. “Not only will we achieve important political goals, but this compromise will cut the budget and benefit the environment as well.”

The White House was cautiously optimistic about Kaine’s proposal. “Tim Kaine knows a lot about traveling around as he did so much of that while he was Chairman of the Democratic National Committee during his term as Virginia Governor,” said a spokesman. “Since he has been such a vocal supporter of the President’s health care law, we are glad that he is always willing to help impose all its sizeable mandates.”

The campaign of former Senator George Allen (R) had not comment on Kaine’s proposal. However, it is believed that the National Republican Senatorial Committee will present ads showing how Kaine’s ideas are still quite costive.

Cross-posted at Virginia Virtucon.

My Evil Plan to Repeal ObamaCare

Hat tip: Yuval Levin at The Corner

To quote House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), “[W]e have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.” One of the interesting things we have learned about the 2,000+ page monstrosity passed by Congressional Democrats has to do with health care access for Congressional staff. According to David Freddoso in the Examiner,

Obamacare was intended, eventually, to push members of Congress and their staff out of the federal employees' health care plan and into the exchanges created by the law. The problem is, those exchanges won't exist for some time. And apparently due to an omission, the ban on offering the federal plan to Capitol Hill employees begins immediately.

The law states that "the only health plans that the Federal Government may make available to Members of Congress and congressional staff" are plans created under Obamacare or offered in its exchanges. According to a 13-page report from the Congressional Research Service, prepared a week after Obamacare's passage, this might mean that your congressman has no health coverage.

It's not exactly clear, because the law also contains a clause stating that no one can be forced to give up coverage they already have. "It is difficult to predict which provision a court would find controlling," CRS notes. At the very least, new hires on the Hill and new congressman appear to be out of luck when it comes to health coverage.

If this is true, it’s quite a testament as to how Democrats have not read their own legislation. As an aside, doesn’t it make you wonder how well Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11) represents all those Federal employees who are his constituents?

So anyway, let’s hope that Republicans increase their majorities over the next couple of election cycles to majorities in both Houses of Congress.. Even better, let’s get a Republican elected President in 2012. So what happens if Democrats try to block repeal of ObamaCare? Maybe the new President, leading a bunch of healthcare bureaucrats he inherited from Obama, can withhold health benefits from Members of Congress and their staff until obstructionist Democrats agree to repeal Obama’s socialized medicine and replace it with a superior free-market system. Isn’t that evil?

Hey, a guy can dream, right?

Health Care Forum Is a Good Start

Many of my blogger colleagues have been advertising a town hall meeting. In this case, it is not being hosted by the sitting Congressman in the district, but rather, by the announced challenger in Virginia’s 11th District for 2010, Keith Fimian. The date is Tuesday, September 1, 2009, 7:00 – 9:00 PM (with doors opening at 6:30 PM). Personally, I am not sure I can make it, but those who are interested should go to

Fairfax County Government Center; Board of Supervisors Auditorium12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22030

The forum will feature health care experts from various free-market think tanks.

Now, as the title to this post says, this is a GOOD START. First of all, Republicans all over the country, especially potential Congressional and Senatorial challengers, should be doing this. Second of all, this should be the basis of formulating and becoming conversant in a coherent health care policy so voters see a practical alternative to Obama’s socialized medicine plans. These events can also help expose some of the less well-known outrages of the Democrats’ proposed legislation, such as assaults on Flexible Spending Accounts. In the case of the 11th District, Fimian would be wise to add to the discussion how Obama’s plans would be bad for Federal workers as well.

The free market can help us improve our health care delivery system better than a monolithic government. I hope more Republicans across the nation host such event to communicate a superior policy.