Rep. Darrell Issa, While Not a Fan, Likes the Health Care Bill More Than Senator Hatch

Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican from California, criticized his pro-life Democratic colleague Bart Stupak for voting in favor of health care reform on Sunday despite concerns that federal money could be used to provide abortions.

“Congressman Stupak has been strongly a supporter of finding compromise, if you will, to prevent people’s own money from being taken for something they find wrong and reprehensible,” said Issa. “Even though I think he made a terrible mistake, I think he sold out for less than what he should have to protect something he believes in.”

Yet Issa denounced the cry of “baby killer” that was directed at Stupak from elsewhere in the chamber. It was learned today that the perpetrator, Rep. Randy Neugebauer from Texas, claimed he was referring to the bill, not to Stupak himself.

As for Stupak’s seeming confusion that even he does not know what he’ll get in exchange for his vote (a new airport in his district, perhaps?), Issa said, “He could have been hoodwinked.”

Also possibly hoodwinked: the American people, who hoped for a year health that care would be fixed properly. “It was supposed to cost less, not more, and we failed,” Issa said. The real question, as he sees it, is not who got what for their district, but rather, “How could we spend so much time and money and not get it right?”

Unlike Orrin Hatch in the Senate, Issa, when asked if there was anything good in the health care bill, said, “Oh, absolutely.” He’s happy that portability between insurance companies will now be mandated; that insurance providers cannot discriminate on the basis of preexisting conditions; and that children can be covered on their parents’ plan until age 26.  He just wishes Democrats and Republicans could have found common ground on issues like new government programs and major new taxes.

“It would have been so much easier to pass the part we could have passed, work on these others, and not have this turn into a question of stick-it-to-the-rich, as though that’s going to fix health care,” Issa said.

He thinks Americans will reflect their displeasure at the polls in November, but figures that the Obama administration will sell the good points of the plan from now until then. “People are going to warm up and say, It’s not as bad as I thought,” Issa said.

More reform is necessary to bring down the costs of health care, he insisted, because otherwise America will become less competitive globally, spending so much on health care that we’ll be forced to increase the cost of shipping goods overseas.

Imus, however, was interested only in reforming his guest’s manliness, as Issa gushed over how wonderful and special it was to hear his favorite songs played on the air.

“You’re starting to get a little emotional on me, Congressman,” Imus said. “It’s making me uncomfortable.”

-Julie Kanfer