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Altmire and Holden are again the holdouts

For Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, House health care vote No. 2 was identical in outcome to House health care vote No. 1.

Republicans joined their colleagues in unified opposition. And Congressmen Jason Altmire (D-4) and Tim Holden (D-17) were once again the only Democrats to vote against the bill, which passed Sunday night.

Altmire in particular had been a target for both sides of the debate for weeks before saying over the weekend that he would vote against the bill.

“I regret that this year-long process of debating health care reform has resulted in a final product that I cannot support,” Altmire said in a statement before the vote. “The cost of inaction on health care is great, but it would be an even bigger mistake to pass a bill that could compound the problem of skyrocketing health care costs.”

Labor leaders have threatened Democrats who vote against the bill with the prospect of primary challenges, but with Pennsylvania’s deadline to get on the primary ballot already lapsed, Altmire can rest easy until the fall.

Holden had already drawn a primary opponent because of his first vote against the bill late last year.

share001btn Altmire and Holden are again the holdouts

March 22, 2010 at 8:27 am

--pa2010.com Staff

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  1. BerksWoman

    Mar 22nd, 2010

    Its time for Labor Leaders to stand by their word, and endorse, support, and work for Sheila Dow-Ford in her primary challenge to democrat-no-more Tim Holden.
    Instead, all I see is how they want to protest outside of Gerlach’s office. Why not Holden’s? What are they afraid of?
    It is time to kick Tim Holden out of our Democratic caucus, and its up to us Democratic voters to do it.

  2. Lee Levan

    Mar 22nd, 2010

    I agree with BerksWoman. Do we have the courage of our convictions or don’t we?

  3. Trande

    Mar 22nd, 2010

    http://www.sheilaforcongress.com/

    Link to Sheila Dow-Ford’s website. I think it’s time to help her in any way we can. Holden is useless and it’s sad to see. And there is no doubt Gerlach needs to go too.

  4. David Diano

    Mar 22nd, 2010

    Holden is indistinguishable from a Republican at this point. Even Stupak finally did the right thing.

    It’s time for Holden to be replaced by a good Democrat.

  6. Harold Punani

    Mar 22nd, 2010

    I guess Holden and Altmire are on the side of the insurance companies instead of the American people.

  7. pablue

    Mar 22nd, 2010

    Holden and Altmire need to go bye-bye. Altmire especially has been a huge disappointment – he should just do the full specter and change himself into the Corporate-hugging Republican that he really is.

  8. Wizard

    Mar 22nd, 2010

    Holden and Altmire are the only Democrats in PA with common sense. This bill is full of pork that is not needed and will increase our federal deficit. Look at the healthcare in Mass. The only reason it is working is because the federal government injects money into the plan so it doesn’t looks like it works. Medicare is a joke. Each year Medicare loses tens of billions of dollars to fraud and abuse. The program’s long-term deficit is a staggering $38 trillion. Its expenditures have raced ahead of inflation from the day it was created: Medicare’s price tag has skyrocketed from $3 billion in 1966 to $453 billion this year. The Post Office is broken.What can the Federal Government run without debt???

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