Republicans For Cancer - Part 2

By Jeff Simpson

At Cogdis, we brought you the story of how the republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly voted on the side of cancer and against Wisconsin residents being able to treat it.  

As we always say here, but wait there's more. 

Mary Czaja, R-Irma, the state representative for the 35th Assembly District has had a relapse of Breast Cancer.   She was in the press lately in a misleading story that says she supports the oral -chemo bill.   The problem is she didn't.  She voted for the poison pill that Robin Vos attached to it hoping it would not pass in the Senate and they could wash their hands of blame.    The problem is we know what happened and its all documented. 

The republicans in the assembly, instead of passing a clean bill that would have been signed by now by Governor Walker, decided to attach an amendment to it meaning it had to go back to the Senate to pass.   They knew that attaching a needless amendment to this bill, would likely kill it. 

For those scoring at home everyone here with an "N" in front of their name voted to kill the oral chemo bill.  

Yes, that is an "N" in front of Rep. Czaja's name.  

I wish Mary Czaja the best of luck in recovering and surviving her current battle with cancer, on her taxpayer funded Cadillac health care plan.  She says Good luck with that because you are on your own! 

PS:  one last footnote that is all too common in our state Government.  While hiding behind her vote for the poison pill, Rep. Czaja actually had the nerve to speak up for it saying she changed her mind about the bill:

After a long conversation with my doctor, I started to think about the issue in a new way. It’s not just the affordability factor; it’s about helping people get back to normal and get back to work.”

Tell me again why we elect people who like to make important decisions yet have no idea about the subject?   Why would someone make up their mind about a bill WITHOUT talking to experts first?  

 

Republicans For Cancer

By Jeff Simpson

We know that a no brainer piece of legislation was heading through our state legislature, which would make it affordable for cancer victims to get affordable oral chemotherapy if they needed it.   The problem is, we have too many legislators, with no brain.   


One of the best summaries of the whole disgusting mess, was written by our friend Blue Cheddar(check out the whole piece):

Robin Vos let everyone know that he supports cancer victims, because he joins a cancer walk once a year. 

After the amendment was adopted with a 54 to 40 vote, Robin Vos gave a long speech about how he honors family members at a cancer “Hope Walk”. He said many people on his side are “philosophically opposed to mandates on insurance policies” regardless of the discussion because they think more options leads to cheaper prices and he called Strachota’s amendment changes “reasonable”.

 Vos is against "mandates" in curing cancer victims but for them if you are a woman considering abortions, if you are a municipality wanting to have to control over your own government and many other things.

Then the theatre really hit.  as Rep. Tom Larson turned on the waterworks! 

 
Following, Rep. Danou told the Republican Assembly members, “The only reason you are voting on this bill is because you were shamed into doing this.”

That accusation drove several Republican Assembly members to emotion. Rep. Tom Larson from Colfax was moved to anger and tears and denied that he was shamed into action. He told the Assembly he saw his own daughter die from cancer six years ago.

Rep. Tom Larson, shortly after his speech voting yes for the poison pill,  telling Wisconsin families, my daughter died of cancer 6 years ago so now your child can die also.    

Then Sandy Pasch stood up and said what everyone was thinking :

“It always bothers me when people think they’ve done enough for cancer when they light the dome pink or purple or… whatever cancer month color it is. ‘Look how much i care. I lit a dome’. Or ‘I’ve gone on a walk’. Or ‘I lit a candle’. Or ‘I’ve posed for pictures’…That’s not showing how much you care. That’s showing how much you care about political points,” said Rep. Pasch.
“I can not believe what this body is doing today. We had the possibility to get something done for the people in the State of Wisconsin.”
“Today. A clean bill.”
“I talked to cancer groups. They said this is an “Unhappy compromise.” An unhappy compromise. They felt that they had nothing that they COULD do – that they had nothing to bargain with. Other than their lives. This is such hypocracy i can’t stand it. If there was true intent on getting a good bill passed we could have had an executive hearing in the health committee where we could have debated alternatives and looked at how to make this bill better. But this bill never had a hearing in the executive health committee. We had an incredibly moving public hearing. Where people talked about the impact of not being able to afford treatment. … that did not move the executive committee to have have an executive committee hearing about it because the intent was “Let’s just shuffle this thing around”. Again. Let’s not have revisionist history. The real history is that the intent from the leaders of BOTH HOUSES – the majority in both houses – was to shuffle this bill around and try to kill it.”
“And look how good we are. We passed a bill in one house that’s different than the bill in the other house and maybe – just maybe – the Senate will take it up and change it in the exact same form and we can do something besides light candles.”
“Don’t hold your breath on it. Don’t hold your breath on it. The only sure way to get this thing done is by passing a clean bill.”
Rep. Pasch concluded:

“I keep waiting for the profiles in courage moments in this house. I keep waiting for it. For somebody to break away from the man behind the curtain who tells everyone how to vote. For somebody to say, ‘You know what? Enough of that. I’m going to do what’s right for my constituents. I’m going to do what’s right for the people of Wisconsin. I’m going to save some lives tonight.”