WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives has sent a stopgap spending bill to the Senate, attaching a one-year delay of Obamacare and a repeal of the law's tax on medical devices.
The House version of "Saturday Night Live" wrapped up just after midnight and included a unanimous vote to pay active duty military members if there is a shutdown -- which is now a near-certainty come Tuesday, given that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has vowed to reject the House package.
Among the generators of fiery rhetoric was the usually subdued U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta, who accused Republicans of acting out of a deep hatred of President Barack Obama. Scott made two appearances. We've created C-SPAN clips for both. In his first, Scott said this:
"Affordable Care [Act] is the law. Everything the distinguished gentleman from Texas has said, he said during debate. We’re not debating. It’s the law. It’s the law of the land. It’s been upheld by the Supreme Court. It has been debated in the elections. President Obama ran on it. Romney said if he got elected, he’d throw it away. The president said if he got elected he would make it work. And the people spoke.
"Make no mistake about it, my friends – Republicans, the American people are never going to forget that it was you who shut down the government of the people."
But Scott was only warming up. Ninety minutes later, he was up again -- and even more angry:
"Let’s say exactly what this is. This is about a shutdown being ordered by the Republican party. It is your initiative. And the reason for that is because you have been [hijacked] by a small group of extreme folks who simply hate this president. That’s all that this is about. And the American people reject it, because we had the election, and the majority of the American people elected President Obama.
"And you hate that, when you see that, because – shake your head if you want to. You cannot separate Obamacare from the president of the United States. It’s one and the same. You’re the ones that are offering the shutdown…."
Scott was called out for making his remarks so personal, but was allowed to continue:
"Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson hated each other so much. But that hate that they had for each other did not come before the love of their country.
"And your hate for this president is coming before the love of this country, because if you loved this country, you would not be closing it down."
All of Georgia's House members voted to pay military members in the event of a shutdown. Here follow the tallies from the other votes. For more on Saturday's intrigue, you can find my full subscriber-only rundown on myajc.com.
Extending government funding until Dec. 15, while postponing implementation of Obamacare for a year: Passed, 231-192. Republicans voted 229-2; Democrats voted 2-190.
Yes: Reps. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah; Lynn Westmoreland, R-Coweta County; Tom Price, R-Roswell; Rob Woodall, R-Lawrenceville; Austin Scott, R-Tifton; Doug Collins, R-Gainesville; Paul Broun, R-Athens; Phil Gingrey, R-Marietta; Tom Graves, R-Ranger.
No: Reps. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany; Hank Johnson, D-DeKalb County; John Lewis, D-Atlanta; John Barrow, D-Augusta; David Scott, D-Atlanta.
Extending government funding to Dec. 15, while repealing the 2.3 percent tax on medical devices: Passed, 248-174. Republicans voted 231-0; Democrats voted 17-174.
Yes: Reps. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah; Lynn Westmoreland, R-Coweta County; Tom Price, R-Roswell; Rob Woodall, R-Lawrenceville; Austin Scott, R-Tifton; Doug Collins, R-Gainesville; Paul Broun, R-Athens; Phil Gingrey, R-Marietta; John Barrow, D-Augusta; Tom Graves, R-Ranger.
No: Reps. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany; Hank Johnson, D-DeKalb County; John Lewis, D-Atlanta; David Scott, D-Atlanta.
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