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Typical: Republicans block surgeon general nominee during flu pandemic
The Political Carnival —
... The Party of No strikes again. Honestly, the Rushpublics would block mental health facilities for suicidal Katrina victims if they could. Oh wait. Speaking of viruses, here's the latest on the GOP: A GOP block on all Health and Human Services nominees has left the department without a surgeon general during a period of a global flu pandemic, prompting the HHS secretary to call for Senate action. Regina Benjamin, the surgeon general nominee, “is ready to be voted on in the Senate, and we would just strongly urge the ...
Republicans Are Blocking Confirmation for Obama's Surgeon General Nominee
Crooks and Liars —
... We have a national health emergency, and Senate Republicans are stalling the surgeon general's confirmation. But then, they don't live in the same country as the rest of us: ...
Unprecedented obstructionism
Political Animal —
... the GOP feels like it. And it's not just judicial nominees. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, pointing to the difficulties of responding to the global flu pandemic, recently noted that the Senate isn't allowed to vote on a surgeon general, because Republicans refuse to let Regina Benjamin's nomination come to the floor. "We are facing a major pandemic, we have a well-qualified candidate for surgeon general, she's been through the committee process. We just need a vote in the Senate," Sebeilus said late last week. "Please give us a surgeon general." Benjamin was unanimously ...
Why Are Republicans Holding Up A Vote On Obama’s Surgeon General Nominee ?
Below The Beltway —
This one doesn’t make any sense to me except as an exercise in pure naked partisanship:
A GOP stall on all Health and Human Services nominees has left the department without a surgeon general during a period of a global flu pandemic, prompting the HHS secretary to call for Senate action.
Regina Benjamin, the surgeon general nominee, “is ready to be voted on in the Senate, and we would just strongly urge the United States Senate” to act, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said during an MSNBC interview Friday in which she discused the ...
Swine Flu Is Coming, Swine Flu Is Coming
DownWithTyranny! —
... declaration last week that the epidemic is a kind of national emergency reminds me of a vote taken on June 16, when the House passed a supplemental appropriations bill with $2 billion for "pandemic flu preparedness and response capacity." Only 5 Republicans joined the Democrats, passing it 226-202. They don't believe that this kind of thing is within the provenance of government. In fact, their ritual obstructionism is harming flu season preparedness in another way as well. They are blocking the confirmation of Regina Benjamin as Surgeon General. Of course, they are blocking ...
Reid blasts unprecedented obstructionism
Political Animal —
... to the story. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) excoriated Republicans on Thursday for stalling more than 200 executive and judicial nominees that in some cases have been lingering on the executive calendar for months. "Senate Republicans are simply so opposed to everything, absolutely everything, that they even oppose putting people in some of the most important positions in our government," Reid said in a floor statement. In the midst of the H1N1 flu outbreak, Republicans put a hold on President Obama's surgeon general nominee. The federal courts are backlogged, ...
ThinkFast: October 30, 2009
Think Progress —
... . For nearly a month, Senate Republicans had delayed a vote on Benjamin as part of the fight over health care reform. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) ...
