Congressional Republicans on Friday vowed to fight any White House appointments for House Democrats who switch their votes on health care reform, including a pair of retiring Tennessee lawmakers.
"Keep an eye on (U.S. Rep. Bart) Gordon, where it was reported he was promised the job of NASA administrator .... or (U.S. Rep. John) Tanner, who wants to be U.S. ambassador to NATO in exchange for his vote," Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said in a speech on the House floor. "I hope we pay attention to these backroom deals that may be happening in this body."
The two retiring Tennessee congressmen immediately fired back at the "insinuation" that their votes were being influenced by the prospect of future jobs.
Rep. Gordon said he was "shocked," while Rep. Tanner charged that Mr. Chaffetz's remarks were an "affront" to the House as an institution.
Rep. Gordon, who initially opposed but now is considered a "yes" in the health care overhaul vote expected Sunday, later went to the floor and said the health care discussion "is getting to an emotional point here ... but we also need to stick with the facts.
"Let me make it clear," Rep. Gordon said. "We have an outstanding director of NASA right now in Charlie Bolden. If he were to leave, though, if it was offered to me, I would not accept. So please understand that my wife has said 26 years of public service are enough."
Rep. Tanner, who opposed the health care legislation previously but whose current position is unclear, called the reports, which were circulated on a blog, an "unsubstantiated, untrue, total fabrication, and to repeat it on this floor in my judgment is an affront to this institution."
"When we get to the point as a society when ... some of us are unable to extend to one who may disagree with us on a matter of public policy the same purity of motive and the same intellectual honest(y), we're going down the wrong road," he said.
U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said he would try to block any presidential appointment of lawmakers leaving office who change their votes to support health care reform, including Rep. Gordon.
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus, said he will support Sen. Coburn's efforts to block such White House nominations.
"We're all concerned about that, and I've talked to Sen. Coburn and encouraged him to do that," Sen. Alexander told Tennessee reporters Friday.
Rep. Gordon announced his support for the health care plan when a new version was unveiled that includes $99 million in payments for Tennessee hospitals that will provide most of the TennCare coverage during 2012 and 2013.
Some have compared the changes in the bill to sweeteners put into a Senate health care plan to win support for Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson. An extra $100 million given to Medicaid in Nebraska was dubbed the "Cornhusker Kickback," but that provision was pulled from the bill Friday.
Craig Becker, president of the Tennessee Hospital Association, said the language of the new House health care bill just ensures that Tennessee hospitals "continue to get what we've been getting, which we still maintain is too little" and less than what other states get.
"I'm really mystified that they compared this with the 'Cornhusker Kickback,' because all this is an extension (of current payments)," Mr. Becker said. "We appreciate all that (U.S. Rep.) Bart Gordon has done for us, but he has been fighting for this thing for the last 16 years."
Sen. Alexander also said the change "is a good provision" because it puts Tennessee on the same level as other states.
"But adding a good provision to a bad bill doesn't change my vote, and I hope it doesn't change anybody else," he said.
Staff writer Dave Flessner contributed to this story.