Update During House Rules Committee Recess

The House Rules Committee has finished the hearing portion of today's meeting, and are taking a brief recess. I spent the last several hours listening to arguments surrounding the various amendments that congresscritters are attempting to attach to the reconciliation bill.

There is nothing unexpected to report right now. It has all been fairly typical health care talking points.

One interesting conversation took place after Congressman Franks began speaking about abortion. He chastised "Democratic leaders" for wanted to force tax-funded abortion on the country. Congressman McGovern made it a point to interrupt and state his objection. Congresswoman Foxx then picked up where Franks left off, declaring explicitly that she knew exactly what in the bill funds abortion.

At that point, Congressman Hastings posed a question for all the congresscritters in the room, show us what in the bill funds abortion? (Most progressive knew long ago that women's reproductive health care would not be covered by any Federal reforms, just a reality of the politics)

There was a noticeable pause, and when the silence was broken Congresswoman Foxx was reading a response to his question from what we can only assume was a letter written by the National Right to Life (she mentioned said letter only minutes before this). Hastings cut her off in the middle to ask what she was reading from, stating that he asked for someone to show him the language of the bill that funds abortion. Foxx never answered what it was she was reading from, but did not continue.

One of the funnier moments, to me, was when Congressman Franks made an analogy about a highway of history littered with failed attempts by the Government to manage. I found it especially adorable that he would use a highway, arguably one of the most successful government run programs in history, to bash government run programs.

Anyways, I will likely have to head back in soon, then again the staff told me we could be on recess for hours (will the metro still be running when I get out of here, or am forking over the cash for a cab?).