Shake Up on Health Care Committee

[Chris Santee]

Fairfax's John Mitchell has been replaced:
http://www.wcax.com/story/24219308/shake-up-on-vt-health-care-committee

House Minority Leader Don Turner of Milton comments:
Montpelier, VT The Vermont Republican House Caucus is gravely concerned by the partisan decision of Speaker Shap Smith to stack the House Health Care Committee with Democratic Legislators that are supportive of Governor Shumlin's healthcare agenda while reducing the number of Republicans on the committee from three to two.
 
Health Care Reform in the form of Governor Shumlin's Single payer healthcare will result in the largest tax increase in Vermont history and all Vermonters deserve to be heard and represented in these very important decisions. Changing the committee structure is purely a partisan move to advance the Governor’s agenda. Vermonters will now be kept in the dark by the Shumlin administration and their allies in the legislature until the tax bill comes due in 2017.
 
In addition, the House Health Care Committee is responsible for oversight of Vermont’s Health Care Reform laws including Vermont Health Connect and the tens of millions of dollars spent on the IT system to run VHC. As of today, much of the VHC website has failed to work. It has been Republican members who have asked the tough questions and provided the oversight.
 
"I am very disappointed in the decision of Shap Smith to remove me from the Heath Care Committee. I thought I was a contributing member to that committee in that my business experience added a well rounded perspective and one that is lacking in that body. Realizing that my approach is one that is not always appreciated of wanting to get things done in the "right" way, it seems that the current majority does not think that way. With all due respect to my replacement it will take a great deal of time to become acclimated to the issues and be effective on the committee regardless of one's experience in government. I wish the committee the best without me", said John Mitchell R-Fairfax.
 
Doug Gage R-Rutland summed it up as follows, "Speaker Smith and Governor Shumlin should be focusing on fixing the problems in their attempt to reform healthcare, not getting rid of the people raising tough questions and pointing out the flaws in their design and implementation. We need true leadership on this issue, leadership that the Republican members of the committee have been providing."
 
"Speaker Smith decided Friday to "shift the balance" on the House Health Committee. I am baffled as to how the speaker thinks he is bringing a balance to the committee structure from 6 Democrats, 3 Republicans, 1 Progressive and 1 Independent to the new structure of 7 Democrats, 2 Republicans, 1 Progressive and 1 Independent. The issues that come before us in Montpelier should never be party driven and in this case it is obvious that they are. Once again, this demonstrates the arrogance of political power that comes with one party, super majority rule. The losers in this partisan political gamesmanship are the tax payers of the State of Vermont,
Vermonter's deserve better," stated committee member Mary Morrissey R-Bennington
 
"It is a sad day in Vermont when the heavy hand of the Governor and the Speaker are used to silence the minority to ram through their agenda,"concluded Minority Leader Don Turner.

[Chris Santee]

THE FIX IS IN: HOUSE SPEAKER STACKS HEALTH CARE COMMITTEE
"On Saturday, Governor Shumlin told the Democratic Caucus to 'plow the ground' for a single payer, taxpayer financed healthcare system in the Legislature this year. Only a few days later, in a purely partisan move, House Speaker Shap Smith replaced John Mitchell (R-Fairfax), one of the few remaining moderate voices on the Health Care Committee, with Democrat Kathy Hoyt of Norwich. Democrats now hold 7 seats on the Health Care Committee and Republicans now hold only 2 seats.  This move comes a little more than a week after a Republican discovered that the Shumlin administration had knowingly mislead the committee about security breaches of the new healthcare exchange website.

"It is really hard to believe how extremely partisan and opportunistic this is.  Adding one more Democrat creates an even bigger rubber stamp for a committee already overwhelmingly dominated by partisan Democrats.  Vermonters deserve better than this.  Vermonters deserve leaders who are not afraid of answering the tough questions, like, how are we going to pay for their single payer healthcare? What are the benefits of the plan going to be? Can we count on them administering their single payer plan as well as they have the healthcare exchange?  Or, what are we going to do when the Federal money dries up?

"By making this move, Democrats have made clear they don't want to have to answer these questions until after the 2014 elections. While this may be politically beneficial for them, it is irresponsible and extremely partisan governing--like what we see happening too often in Washington, DC.  Every Vermont individual, family, and employer have a right to know the answers. Now, because they are afraid of those answers, they are making an effort to ensure these questions are drowned out in committee.  Sadly, it will be working Vermonters who pay the biggest price for this extreme partisanship."

-- Brent Burns, Political Director, Vermont Republican Party

[msm]

Looks like the Democrates in Montpelier want to work like their Feds in Washington.   I've sure the Single Payer plan will be a great deal for all .. Dems are leaders in healthcare Facilitation ...

[Thor]

This is my surprised look!!

Like I said in a previous post; If Obammy had a brother, he would look just like Shumlin.

Perhaps Vermont is the test bed for the single payer system that Obammy so badly wants. The similarities in absolute incompetence, ridiculous costs, website debacle and lack of security are amazing.