Senator Murkowski – ObamaCare

Senator Murkowski's most public pronouncement on repeal of ObamaCare:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGB7UMejbQI&feature=player_embedded

Such a view is consistent with Murkowski’s remarks at an Anchorage Healthcare Town Hall on August 20, 2009. She said, “It’s not so much that the government run plan is in and of itself a bad thing . . . what we have to have is a government-run plan that actually works.” -- Healthcare Town Hall Meeting, Anchorage on August 20, 2009 (starting at 0:29:45)

Senator Murkowski's campaign is claiming that she already voted to repeal; ostensibly, they are talking about this:

http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00084

Facts: this was actually a vote against tabling a repeal Amendment (it is true that this is practically tantamount to voting for the Amendment); the vote took place on March 24, 2010 – one day before the final reconciliation bill passed.

The final passage – March 25, 2010 – vote is here:

http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00105

The Senator, to her credit, did vote against ObamaCare. However, a few days later, after final passage of the bill, and the President received a slight bounce in the polls http://cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/24/politics/main6328286.shtml

She said this: http://ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=12232006

Her work-in-progress theory (strike the most egregious provisions) seems to be operative here:

http://peninsulaclarion.com/stories/042110/new_613478053.shtml

And here: http://adn.com/2010/05/31/1301956/much-is-wrong-with-obamas-health.html

She also voted for the expansion of the roll of federal government in healthcare before: with the Democrats and against the majority in her party.  

January 29, 2009

H.R. 2 (Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 ) - Expanded the program by $33 billion to include children from middle income families, even if they were already covered by private health insurance plans.

“A bill to amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to extend and improve the Children's Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes.”

Murkowski (R-AK), Yea

http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00031

One of six Republican Senators to vote for the expansion, among them Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe from Maine, and Arlen Specter before he switched to the Democratic Party.

President Bush vetoed a similar measure twice (one of the rare vetoes of his Presidency), calling it a move towards socialized medicine.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/oct/04/bush-vetoes-schip-expansion/

On June 4, 2010 Senator Murkowski was on The Dan Fagan Show on 750 AM (KFQD) and was asked if she supported repeal of Obamacare. She responded, “absolutely!” Unfortunately, we don't have access to Dan's podcast.

Stay tuned . . .