Legal Commentary

Rep. Grayson Attacks GOP "Health Plan"

By Professor University of Miami School of Law

Alan Grayson on the GOP Health Care Plan: “Don't Get Sick! And if You Do Get Sick, Die Quickly!”'

Rep. Grayson's remarks have been attacked by many on the right as somehow akin to Joe Wilson's (false) “you lie” shoutout during President Obama's speech. In fact, while not particularly civil, they do capture the essence of the GOP (and far-right-Democratic) opposition to health care reform: it's fine to leave some Americans without health insurance, and if they get sick, it's mostly their problem. We'll do emergency room care for them, but nothing long-term, and certainly nothing preventative.

That said, Grayson's remarks can be called inaccurate in one respect — there really isn't a Republican health proposal on the table at all, just a bunch of bills each with a small number of sponsors, none endorsed by the Republican leadership.

To those who would attack Rep. Grayson for his unuslaly blunt talk, I would ask, “Do any of the leading Republican plans ensure basic health care for all Americans?” And, where were you when Republicans were using similary hot rhetoric?

Grayson is certainly not backing down: “47,000 Americans die every year for lack of health insurance. And by the way, that's 20 or so since we started talking about it. That's over a hundred a day.”

Full post as published by Discourse.net on September 30, 2009 (boomark / email).