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Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Hatch, Schumer among busiest senators

Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 12:58 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:

From NBC's Ken Strickland
Orrin Hatch is probably the busiest Republican in the Congress. Besides being a senior member of the Judiciary Committee questioning Sonia Sotomayor, he's also a key player in the health-care reform legislation moving through the Senate. 

Hatch is both a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee. Both panels are tasked with writing the health-care bill. Additionally, he's also on the so-called "gang of seven" which is a group drilling down on a bipartisan solution for health-care reform. 

(Hatch also serves on the Intelligence Committee, which has plenty on it's plate as well.)

On the Democratic side, Chuck Schumer is the busiest. He's not only on the Judiciary panel, but yesterday, after he made his opening statement, he took the role of Sotomayor's home-state senator, introducing her to the committee.

Schumer is also a player on health care on the Finance Committee. He's tasked with bridging the divide between the centrist nature of the panel with the more liberal leanings of the Democratic caucus. And Schumer is a member of the Democratic Leadership with the rank of No. 3. (He's also Rules Committee Chairman.)

Other busybodies include:
- Chuck Grassley (R): Judiciary Committee & top Republican on Finance (dealing with health care)
- Jon Kyl (R): Judiciary and Finance Committees, plus Republican Leadership (No. 2)
- Sheldon Whitehouse (D): Judiciary and HELP Committees
- Dianne Feinstein (D): Judiciary Committee and Intelligence Committee Chairwoman
- Tom Coburn (R): Judiciary and HELP committees (and he's also an OB-GYN)

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The most powerful elected officials are the moderates. I wish that moderates of both parties would split and create their own political party. All that's going to happen now is that the far left will promote their agenda; then a far right revolution will occur; then a far left revolution will occur...over and over again and the people's business never gets done. The majority of the public is in the middle of the political spectrum, but we have no representation.
Is being the "busiest Senator" like being the tallest midget?
Please. These goofs spend 88% of their time campaigning, at fund raisers, or meeting with lobbyists.
Hatch is both a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee. Both panels are tasked with writing the health-care bill. Additionally, he's also on the so-called "gang of seven" which is a group drilling down on a bipartisan solution for health-care reform.  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

They still have jobs to do that concerns the peoples business now and it is Health Care Reform. Bipartisanship from the right is not going to happen; if it does…it will surprise me and millions of others. They haven’t done so thus far and I am not concerned about what’s on their plates right now. I am only concerned about them being statesmen and women in regards to handling the people’s business at hand and it is HCR. Prioritize their projects and get it done.
I don't agree with Pastor Rogers on anything else but this:

"You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."*

* Adrian Rogers, 1931-2005*
Here is one of the biggest problems with Congress,you have a bunch of over the hill politicians on the plum committees,while they are still living in the 70's,the country needs fresh new ideas,not the old man stand by's that guys like Hatch use.All these old timers need to retire,go home and play with there Great,Great,Great grandchildren.
So busy yet nothing is being done in congress. We are being played here. Democrats have broken their promise to us, now its time to hold them responsible.
I don't agree with Hatch on pretty much anything; but I have seen his name attached to a boatload of legislation and he does seem to put in the time.

I don't personally like Schumer; but again, I perceive that he is a force to be reckoned with and another Senate heavy lifter.

^^^^^^^
“…What planet are you from?  The purpose of the post you reference was to correct a persistent misstatement by one of your leftist colleagues that the unemployment rate under Reagan was 15%.  The post had nothing to do with Reagan GOOD or Obama BAD, it had nothing to do with Reagan inheriting a mess from Carter.  It was just a straightforward correction of a factual error, pure and simple.

How you twist that into being a case of ’classic hypocrisy’ is just astonishing.  And if your comment is an example of the ‘A game’ Feisty is always bragging about, well you should go back to your room and leave serious discussion to the few adults who hang out around here.”  Bill, Fairfax, VA (Sent Tuesday, July 14, 2009 10:15 AM)

Earth.  More specifically, United States of America.  Are you saying that if you make an assertion I can only limit my response to the subject matter of the assertion and NOT point out the fallacy of your argument?  You don’t get to make the rules, Bill.  I get that you think you are an adult; but you are the one showing a complete lack of maturity in your ‘reasoning’.  (can I underscore that with your, "What planet are you from?" question, real mature there, Bill.)  I stand by comment that you lack credibility.  

Greg P. NW Indiana – thanks for underscoring my point by ripping apart Bill’s ‘selective’ reasoning.  I am sure he will attack you similarly for not playing by his ‘rules’.  It’s his math, it can only be used to support his case.
I remember Orin Hatch from the Watergate hearings

Hatch was trying to intimidate John Dean
Hatch was trying to help cover up Watergate

It didn't work then...
PS.  Worst Senators are Mitch McConnel and Lindsey Graham.  They are so busy doing PR, pressers and interviews - they can't be bothered with legislation.
"We need to pass this stimulus plan quickly, because if we don't, unemployment may rise above 8%."

BHO Washington DC - February/2009


The President’s economic advisors predicted that unemployment would rise to 9 percent by 2010 if Congress did not pass the stimulus bill, but that with the stimulus unemployment would stay below 8 percentage points.

Congress passed the stimulus bill in February 2009 and the President has repeated his claims.  Asked when the public should begin to judge the effects of the stimulus, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said “I think we should begin to judge it now.”

In that case, the stimulus must be judged a failure. The figure above shows the projections the administration made in January with and without the stimulus bill, and the actual unemployment rate since then. Unemployment has risen not only above what the President’s advisors predicted would happen if the stimulus passed, but above what they estimated would occur without the stimulus. By the President’s own measure, the stimulus has failed.

Obama (BoBo) and his stimulus have a lot in common.
They both cost way to much and are a FAILURE.

Why are all republicans always scared? Why do republicans hide and run when it is time to serve our country? Why do republicans always hate on your fellow americans? Why do republicans think they are better than liberals, but brag about being stupid? Why are republicans such cowards? They hide when it is time to fight and they hide behind their blog names  Why do you losers join a party that promotes cowardice, ignorance and no free thought. How can you be in a party where everyone must think as one like the Borg in Star Trek 2. In fact republicans are exactly like the BORG. Rush Limpballs speaks and you losers say how high do I jump or what must I do to serve you LORD LIMPBALLS. It is so sad that all republicans are lead around by Limpballs, like I used to lead cows around with a ring in their nose. I pulled the cow, she moved, Lord Limpballs speak,  all the little republican slappies wet their pants and quiver.
I know about the old gang of seven, but who's all part of the new gang of seven??

Dopey, sleepy, doc, bashful...and so on?
Chuch Schumer - what a putz. He's another Patrick Leahy, only with beans instead of french fries.
A tried and true John Dean honoree, complete with French's mustard. Gotta be French's.
- Tom Coburn (R): Judiciary and HELP committees (and he's also an OB-GYN)

The parenthetical phrase is important because?????
What difference does it make that he is an OB-GYN. Is someone in the Congress in need of such a doctor? Is somone going to be with child soon? Is he still practicing or has he set that aside while he serves in Congress? How does that make him any busier than any other Senator? Being on Judiciary and HELP would keep him busy but mention of the OB-GYN is irrelevant.
Senator Schumer has earned the job of Majority Leader, and should campaign for the post.
eagle1776 (Sent Tuesday, July 14, 2009 3:25 PM)

he practices his love with women.


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