The health care reform bill and the wasteful spending of the Democratic Administration are the two key reasons that Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith is no longer a member of the Democratic Party. As of Griffith's press conference Tuesday afternoon at his Huntsville residence; he is a member of the Republican Party.
Rumors began flying earlier on Tuesday that Rep Griffith was going to make his announcement to leave the Democrat Party later on Tuesday. Those rumors became true when Griffith stated, "I now believe I have to go farther and stand with a party that is ore in tune with my beliefs."
Griffith was never the traditional Democrat. He aligned more with the Blue Dog Democrats that are known to be the conservative group of the Democratic Party. At his press conference, Griffith even referred to his election being as an "independent conservative Congressman."
Since joining Congress, Griffith has voted the majority of time with the Democratic Party. On the big issues such health care reform, Obama's stimulus bills and the "cap and trade" climate bill; Griffith has voted against the Democratic Party.
Griffith was elected in 2008 in a tight race for the House of Representatives seat for Alabama's 5th Congressional District. He served in the State Senate prior to that.
As a retired Board Certified Radiation Oncologist, Rep Griffith used his years of experience in the health care industry to form his opinion on the health care reform that is currently going through Congress now. Griffith has made his opinion known about the health care reform in the past and made it very clear at his press conference on Tuesday.
According to Rep Griffith, this health care reform bill is "bad for doctors, bad for patients and bad for the young men and women who are considering entering into the health care field." Griffith went on to say that the health care reform bill was a threat to the nation's economy and the health care industry.
Griffith was one of 39 Democrats in the House that voted against the health care reform bill that just recently passed the House. He has been very vocal about how he feels about the health care reform and the spending of the Democratic Administration.
The last time a House of Representatives Democrat switched to the Republican Party was in 2004 when Rep Rodney Alexander (LA) switched. Griffith changing from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party will not affect the control of the House.
The Democrats still hold the majority (257 to 178), but their appears to be less voting straight party lines in the House than the Senate. The Democrats barely passed the health care reform bill when it went through the first time.
Only time will tell if Griffith's switch to the Republican Party will persuade other Democrats to vote against the health care bill. Plus there are several recent retirement announcements that the Republicans feel they have a good chance to win in 2010. All of which could swing the power away from the Democrats.
Griffith is feeling some heat over his decision to leave the Democratic Party. The Democratic Congressional Campaign chairman Chris Van Hollen has called for Griffith to return all monies he has received from the DCCC and other Democratic members.
In a statement Van Hollen says," House Democratic Members and the Democratic Cingressional Campaign Committee took Parker Griffith at his word and, as a result, invested a great deal in working with Alabamans to bring Mr. Griffith to Congress."
Von Hollen continued, "Mr. Griffith, failing to honor our commitment to him, has a duty and responsibility to return to Democratic Members and the DCCC the financial resources that were invested in him."
Before Rep Parker Griffith had officially announced he was leaving the Democratic Party, his Wikipedia page had been changed listing him as a Republican. At his press conference on Tuesday, Griffith made that statement true. It has also created discussions in both parties about how this decision will impact the power of the House and elections to come and more importantly the health care reform.
Written by Denise Clay
For Huliq
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