Not bothering to wait for President-Elect Obama to be inaugurated, California Representative Fortney Pete Stark, has introduced his own bill on health care reform: AmeriCare.
Representative Stark has suggested politicians need to amend the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to provide for an AmeriCare that assures the provision of health insurance coverage to all residents, and for other purposes. He also introduced MediKids basically reproducing Medicare for children under 23.
The bill has no co-sponsors so it has arrived dead on arrival on the hill. Its introduction is a direct contradiction to a statement he made just before Christmas: “Let’s wait for Mr. Obama to spell out his priorities, so lawmakers can get to work and ‘accomplish his goals’."
The thought of an article in the newspaper has overcome him, perhaps Senator Waxman becoming Chairman of the Full Committee on Energy and Commerce has something to do with this as well (passed over an opportunity). Whatever the reason, Representative Stark does not want to be left out of the debate and wants the world to know he is still important, and in the end, it may have the opposite effect.
Congressman Stark Documents
AmeriCare House Floor Statement
MediKids House Floor Statement