By Matt Garfield of thestate.com

U.S. Rep. John Spratt joined Democrats in celebrating passage of health care reform Monday – but said he would’ve preferred a different approach to reach this point.

“Frankly, I would’ve done it differently had it been my call,” Spratt told The Herald in his first comments since Sunday night’s vote. “I would’ve done it in steps or stages. By taking on the whole bucketful of issues and problems, it only made it (more) complex.”

Incremental changes would’ve made it easier to win over skeptics, the York Democrat said. “At each stage, you would’ve brought the constituency affected by the changes along with you.” [Read more →]

Updates from Jonathon Hill – will continue as events unfold

3/21/10 7:43 pm - the vote will be around 10 or 11. Looks like it will pass. The debate on the floor is in progress

3/21/10 5:49 pm – all the yes votes have their offices locked even when th staffers present

3/21/10 3:47 pm – STUPACK SELLOUT

3/21/10 4:46 pm – Bart Gordon just walked in his office and rudely ignored us

3/21/10 2:44 pm – Bill from Mass.: KILL THE BILL! While he was being hauled out of the gallery, his buddy yelled: YOU GUYS TOOK AN OATH… All the Rs on the floor applauded [Read more →]

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Top prosecutors in South Carolina and Florida said Friday they are ready to sue if health care reform legislation passes this weekend as expected.

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster said he and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum will file a federal lawsuit challenging the bill’s constitutionality.

“We are ready to kill it,” McMaster said. “When the national government and Congress start going wild, it’s up the states to rein them in.”

The U.S. House plans to vote on the plan Sunday. McMaster and McCollum will argue that it violates state sovereignty because it requires that all Americans have some form of health insurance. … [Read more →]

By U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint

As the Democrats have become more and more desperate to pass their health care bill into law at any cost, their approval ratings have sunk to record lows.

Americans know their government takeover of the health care system is bad and the tactics they’re using to do it are even worse. It raises costs, lowers the quality of care in our country, shifts a new unfunded mandate onto the states, and will result in health care rationing.

This is the wrong kind of medicine to heal our health care system and we’re determined to do our part to stop it. All 41 Republican senators have pledged to stop any “fixes” from being added to the bill if the Democratic House chooses to make it law. [Read more →]

From the Committee on Ways and Means
The Wrong Prescription: Democrats’ Health Overhaul Dangerously Expands IRS Authority

Highlights:

• IRS agents verify if you have “acceptable” coverage
• IRS can fine you up to $2,250, or 2% of your income (whichever is greater) for non-compliance
• IRS can confiscate your tax refund
• IRS audits likely to increase
• IRS administration costs will grow $10 billion and 16,500 new auditors, agents, and other employees
• Nearly half of all these new individual mandate taxes will be paid by average families earning less than $66,150
• Illegal immigrants will be exempt from these new taxes and penalties