In case there’s any doubt about where our region’s congressmen stand on health care reform: “Deceiving the American people in order to pass a trillion-dollar nationalized health care plan smells of dirty Washington politics,” said Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard. “I oppose President Obama’s plans to take over one-sixth of our nation’s economy, and I oppose Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi’s plans to sneak it past the House without a vote.” Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays, said: “When all the budgetary gimmicks are removed, we see this bill for what it is, a trillion dollar budget breaker that we cannot afford and that won’t improve everyday Americans’ access to affordable health care. It’s the worst of both worlds: Breaking the bank, breaking the Treasury and not controlling health care costs.”
Kansas lawmakers in Topeka are not unique in their sudden enthusiasm for the 10th Amendment, which has inspired both chambers of the Legislature to adopt states’ rights resolutions and consider a constitutional amendment to have Kansas opt out of health reform mandates. States’ rights are all the rage, notes the New York Times, citing new laws in South Dakota and Wyoming invalidating federal regulation of some firearms, and Utah legislation declaring the state’s authority over federal lands. Utah and Oklahoma also have debated opting out of federal health reform. Not all the efforts are born of conservative views, though. Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin are considering bills that would push back at federal deployment of state National Guard troops. But the Constitution’s Article 6 says “that federal law is supreme and that if there’s a conflict, federal law prevails,” Ruthann Robson, who teaches constitutional law at the City University of New York School of Law, told the Times. “It’s pretty difficult to imagine a way in which a state could prevail on many of these.”
In polling before President Obama predicted the men’s basketball teams of the University of Kansas and Kansas State University would make the Final Four, just 37 percent of Kansans surveyed said they approved of the job he is doing. Obama’s approval number was up 2 percentage points from last month in the poll, conducted by SurveyUSA and sponsored by KWCH, Channel 12. In national polls, Obama’s job approval currently averages 47.3 percent.
“I’ve cut more spending than any governor or legislator in Kansas history. So if I’m addicted to spending, I’m doing a pretty terrible job at feeding my habit.” — Gov. Mark Parkinson, to House GOP leaders’ declarations that the state is addicted to spending
“I’d never allow my kids to deem their rooms clean, so it’s disgraceful that the majority plans to deem their $2.5 trillion government takeover of health care as passed without a vote.” — Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Topeka, on the House floor Wednesday
