HR847 - First Responders Medical Act - Why was it defeated?

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 did not pass last week due to a combined nay vote of Republicans and Democrats that failed to reach a necessary 2/3 majority. This resulted in Rep. Anthony Weiner going on the House floor to deliver an interesting tirade aimed at the opposition party.

Was it just theatrics? Maybe, maybe not; the Republicans delivered the majority of no votes, but were joined by about a dozen Democrats, as well.

Nominally, HR847 is intended to provide extended medical relief to first responders and area NYC residents impacted by the 9/11 terrorist attack on the WTC towers. This is right and noble and should be done.

The vote could have proceeded on a simple majority of 218, but would have allowed modifications to the bill by Republican and Democrat representatives. It would likely have passed with overwhelming majority votes from both parties.

However, Democrat leaders wanted no modifications or amendments to the bill as it existed and that parliamentary move then required a 2/3 yes vote to pass. They never had that number and knew they did not have it. They went ahead knowing the bill would fail.

According to Republican leaders, the modifications they wanted in the bill were dedicated funding (there was none, although the stimulus package could have provided it for some time) and an assurance that the funding would not be used to medically treat illegal aliens under this bill. The House leadership did not want the bill funded by stimulus moneys and wanted it to be passed as an entitlement program ad infinitum.

NOTE: $2MM in stimulus moneys is being used to rent 534 goats and pay 2 South American goatherders in Idaho to control weeds along a small creek in a state park. https://www.downtoearthnw.com/stories/2010/jul/21/goats-help-park-nip-problem-in-the-bud/ Funny what they will use that money for.

No amendment excluding illegal aliens would be permitted by House leadership as it was considered inflammatory leading up to the November elections.

So, the majority party knew the bill would die and did nothing to negotiate or compromise to assure passage. Rep. Peter King (R) NY voted for the bill despite its language construction. It will likely come up for another vote after the House current recess. Rep. King will attempt to place the modifications or amendments previously denied by House leadership.

All the above information is easy to verify at several different news media, both left and right oriented.

Should the parties have compromised or not? If not, why not? Will they ever be able to get this thing right?

To the point of this potential law being unfunded, the leaders in Congress would not allow Stimulus funds to be used, consequently, causing an expensive entitlement act to be placed on the rising national debt. However, an ABC news story released this morning shows what the WH and Congress is allowing the stimulus act to be used for. Incredible that they would not fund this worthy effort, but allow funds to be used in the ways shown in the story.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/summer-recovery-slammed-stimulus-waste-report-released/story?id=11309090

First, there are no South American goat herders.
Second, the goats are South African.
Third, it's not costing 2 million dollars, it's costing $540 a day.
Fourth, it's proven to be an effective way to rid our nations parks of invasive weeds that crowd out native species.

Fifth, based on you getting those four things wrong in a link that only serves to show how partisan you are, I'll skip a reply to the rest of your post.

Partisan, eh. That gets thrown around easily. You've stated that you hold your opinions to the level of not being able to consider yourself in error. Not quite sure where that would put you in the partisan equation. In any case, see below.

Quotes from the news article:

Money for the project comes from $2 million federal stimulus grant for weed control in Benewah County. ** I never said it cost $2MM; I cited the story line, if you'd read more slowly.

Heyburn State Park is renting 540 goats from a Grangeville, Idaho, rancher to help control weeds along Plummer Creek. **The goats are a S. African breed, not from S. Africa. They're owned by an American rancher, at least.

On Tuesday, the goats were nibbling on knapweed, showing less interest in tansy. Two South American herders will drive the goats up and down the creek bottom over the next 10 days, until the herd grazes the weeds down to the ground
.** I think that says South American herders in that quote there. Maybe I don't process as well anymore, you'd know since your opinion is the only one valid.

How many state and federal parks are using this method. You're kidding me again, right?

Your merry partisan.

Many state and federal parks are using this method. It's less expensive and more effective than herbicides, and it doesn't pollute the waterways and kill fish and native plants.

USDA

I would think you'd be happy about this. Goats don't unionize, and they don't need health insurance.

Many of us enjoy the outdoors, but not many of us really care what is growing along creeks as long as we don't pick up a load of ticks off the plants. This is just federal "job creation". Tansy is actually a useful plant, knapweed not so much, but it does have a pretty purple flower. Way off on a tangent here, but that's something a lot people without answers are good at here. Tell you what, I'll start a new thread on noxious plants in parks and the usefulness of using stimulus funds to use non-unionized goats and South American herders to control them. You'll enjoy the banter, I'm sure. See ya.

You realize that the invasive species (which I think you'd like to see gone, as they're the herbaceous equivalent of illegal aliens), are killing off native species, and the native fauna that would normally feed on them is dieing off for lack of a food source.

And while I'm sure that you've got a better idea of how to control them, without spending any money, and at the same time creating jobs, preserving the condition of our parks and quite probably creating new biofuels all at the same time, I'm equally certain that you won't share it with us.

Start the weed control thread. I'll respond. One way we're alike is that "last word" thing. But you can have the last word here, if its important. Subject is way off thread, though. You're making me wish I never mentioned those non-unionized goats.