Bunning Blocks The Plate, Part 2

My Senator, ladies and gents.  Republican Jim Bunning's refusal to allow the Senate to extend those jobless benefits not only ended up furloughing 4,000 DoT employees, but now he's cut federal reimbursement of Medicare fees to doctors by 21%.

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) is already infamous for blocking a temporary extension of unemployment and COBRA benefits for out of work Americans. But included in that package is legislation to prevent a mandatory pay cut for doctors--and by standing in it's way, he's triggered a 21 percent fee reduction to doctors seeing Medicare patients starting today.

Republicans say they support a temporary measure to avoid the cuts, but they have been unable to rein in Bunning, and, as such, the Senate has failed to act on a House bill that staves them off.

The American Medical Association warned of this last week: "A Medicare meltdown now seems certain, as the U.S. Senate has left early for the weekend, abandoning seniors, military families and baby boomers," reads an AMA statement from Friday. "The Senate failed to repeal the Medicare physician payment formula that will cause a drastic 21 percent payment cut to physicians who care for Medicare and TRICARE patients. On Monday, the 21 percent cut goes into effect, forcing many physicians to limit the number of Medicare and TRICARE patients they see in order to keep their practice doors open."

On a conference call with reporters this afternoon Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) put it this way: "By his actions, Bunning has prevented people from receiving Unemployment, health care access, transportation projects from going forward, and Doctors who provide Medicare services from getting paid."

And yet the Republican leadership refuses to do anything about Bunning's antics.  In fact, they're expected to keep delyaing this as long as they can in order to hurt as many people as possible and blame the Democrats for it.  The hostage taking continues, and it's my state's Senators, Jim Bunning and GOP Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell doing all the damage.

Way to go, Kentucky!

[UPDATE 7:03 PM]  Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) takes to TPM to call Bunning out. 

We need this to end. Debate big differences. Disagree. Use the filibuster when big matters of principle hang in the balance - and sometimes they do. But at the end of the day, Washington has to function - people are counting on it. When it comes to unemployment insurance for workers who have been laid-off through no fault of their own, stop playing games immediately, allow a vote, and then get to work trying to solve some problems, not playing tricks with the Senate rules. The framers invested the minority with rights to protect the Senate - not to destroy it.

Read the whole thing.