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Michael O'Brien - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
Republicans expect a final vote on healthcare around the easter holiday this year, the Senate's second-ranking Republican said Monday night. Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said he expected Democratic leaders to arrange their final votes on health reform to but up against lawmakers' recess for the Easter and Passover holidays. "This thing is losing support every day," Kyl said during an interview on Fox News. "And I think what they'll try to do is move it up against the Easter recess so that the members won't have time to go home and have a full recess period before they take the vote."
Reconciliation on health care would be an assault to the democratic process
Orrin Hatch - Washington Post
America's Founders gave us a system of governance designed to limit government power and maximize liberty. The legislative branch is different from the executive, and the Senate is different from the House. No single branch has all the power. That can be frustrating for those with ambitious agendas, but everyone benefits by respecting those checks and balances even as we fight over policies.
Ryan praised for alternative health-care plan
Guy Boulton - Journal Sentinel
The health care reform proposal by Rep. John Boehner of Ohio isn't the only Republican proposal on health care reform. Rep. Paul Ryan of Janesville has put forth a far more sweeping proposal, and he's drawn national attention and considerable praise from conservatives for it. "You do not look upon the likes of Ryan very often," said Bob Moffit, a health policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a policy research organization in Washington, D.C.
Health care by Easter?
Ben Smith - Politico
With AP suggesting that nine "no" Democrats in the House could switch to "yes," Inside Health Policy has a timeline: According to [a] Democratic memo, the timeline may be: Step one: The House passes the Senate's health reform bill by March 19. The bill then goes to the president for signature without going through conference....After the Senate bill becomes law, the House then amends the Senate bill through a reconciliation bill, to be passed by March 21. That bill would be the only opportunity to amend, add or strike provisions in the Senate bill. Step three: The Senate begins debate on the reconciliation bill by March 23. Debate is limited to 30 hours. Votes begin March 26, the first day of Easter recess...
Obama to Highlight Cost in New Health Bill Push
Jackie Calmes and David Herszenhorn - New York Times
President Obama this week will begin a climactic push to rally restive Congressional Democrats to pass major health care legislation by hammering the argument that the costs of failure will be higher insurance premiums and lost coverage for individuals and businesses. While Mr. Obama prepared for a speech on Wednesday to outline "the way forward" and to flesh out the substance of his proposed compromise based on the bills passed by the House and Senate, the two parties on Monday stepped up their battle to define the Democrats' legislative strategy. It was framed as "a divisive trick" in Republicans' telling and, in Democrats' view, as a procedure regularly used and honed by Republicans.
Obama looks to undecided Dems for health backing
Erica Werner - Associated Press
A small number of House Democrats who opposed health overhaul legislation on the first go-round may be President Barack Obama's most important constituency when he unveils a revised proposal on Wednesday. At least nine of the 39 Democrats who voted "nay" when the House passed sweeping overhaul legislation 220-215 in November are now undecided or withholding judgment until they see Obama's final product, according to an Associated Press survey. It may seem improbable that any lawmaker would want to switch his or her vote on the measure, courting the flip-flopper label after a year of controversy over legislation that's slid ever downward in polls.
Pelosi's challenge: Hold the line
Patrick O'Connor - Politico
The world has changed a lot since the House passed its health care bill last fall. Back then, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi passed the bill with just two votes to spare. If she took the same vote today, she'd have the bare minimum of votes she would need, after the death of Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha, three House resignations and the defection of the only Republican to vote yes.
Obama said poised to offer more healthcare changes
Patricia Zengerle - Reuters
President Barack Obama will offer changes to his healthcare overhaul this week, the White House said on Monday, and a leading Democrat said the president was preparing a smaller version of his broad bid to revamp the $2.5 trillion industry.
Five reasons why there will be no health care reform in 2010
Joseph Hall - Examiner
After months of propositions and positioning, the health care reform bill is a promise that cannot be delivered. It is a huge distraction to the running of government and the solving of real problems of Americans. It robs congress of its ability to resolve the job crisis, provide guidance to Wall Street executives, and rejuvenate the economy. It's time for a reality check in Washington DC.
It appears voters will ultimately decide health care issue
David Broder - Inside Bay Area
TWO HOURS before President Barack Obama opened his health care summit, and two blocks away, a couple dozen reporters gathered at the invitation of The Christian Science Monitor for a breakfast at which the reform proposal's doom was foreshadowed. The guests for the group interview were Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster whose firm advised John McCain in his presidential campaign and lists dozens of other congressional Republicans among its clients, and Newt Gingrich, who became Speaker of the House largely by leading the fight in 1994 to kill the Clintons' effort at health reform.
Some House foes eye switch to 'yes' on health care
Charles Babington - Associated Press
Ten House Democrats indicated in an Associated Press survey Monday they have not ruled out switching their "no" votes to "yes" on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, brightening the party's hopes in the face of unyielding Republican opposition. The White House tried to smooth the way for them, showing its own openness to changes in the landmark legislation and making a point of saying the administration is not using parliamentary tricks or loopholes to find the needed support.
Kansas House committee to vote next week on 'Health Care Freedom Amendment'
Associated Press/ Lawrence Journal World & News
A Kansas House committee may vote this week on a proposed "Health Care Freedom Amendment" to the state constitution. The Health and Human Services Committee has a discussion of the measure on its agenda for Tuesday. The amendment would add a provision to the constitution prohibiting the state from requiring any individual or business to buy health insurance. It also would prevent the state from requiring anyone to participate in a particular health care plan.
Why are the Democrats jamming health care reform down America's throat?
Morgan Liddick - Summit Daily News
"A government in which one party has control over all the decisions is bad for America and bad for all our people...the right to an extended debate is never more important than when one party controls both the Congress and the White house." -- Senator Harry Reid, 5/23/2005
Democrats shouldn't bend rules to pass health care
Editorial - Detroit News
The motive for last week's so-called bipartisan health care summit is coming into sharper focus. Now that the Democratic majority in Washington has given Republicans a chance to put their ideas on the table, it considers itself justified in ignoring the GOP, declaring the differences irreconcilable and moving ahead to ram through their version of health care reform.
Health care summit charade -- a clinic in Obama partisanship
David Limbaugh - Washington Examiner
For a guy who touts himself as bipartisan and demands bipartisanship from Republicans, President Barack Obama had a funny way of showing his bipartisanship during last week's health care summit. Obama has repeatedly promised an open, honest and bipartisan process on health care reform, but from the beginning, he has quarterbacked a highly partisan, closed-door and dishonest campaign.
New 'Much Smaller' Obama Bill Wednesday
Daniel Foster - NRO's The Corner
According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the White House will release a new health-care bill on Wednesday that will be "much smaller" than either the House or Senate versions, according to news reports. The White House said that the new proposal will "borrow" ideas from last Thursday's health-care summit and will be designed to garner bipartisan support.
GOP Girding for Battle Over Reconciliation
David Drucker - Roll Call
With President Barack Obama set to green-light the use of reconciliation to pass health care legislation, Senate Republicans are preparing to wage a unified floor and message war to block this 51-vote strategy -- and lay the groundwork for what they hope will be big electoral gains in November. Senate Republicans have already set the messaging component in motion, saying reconciliation would subvert the will of the American people. Still under development is the legislative strategy, which Republicans hope will tie the majority party in knots and force vulnerable Democrats to take politically damaging votes -- if it doesn't derail reconciliation altogether.
One more push: Democrats rady health bill strategy
Susan Ferrechio - Washington Examiner
House and Senate Democrats this week are plowing forward with a sweeping health care reform bill, having apparently closed the chapter on negotiating with Republicans less than a week after a bipartisan health care summit. President Obama is expected on Wednesday to make an announcement about bypassing GOP and moderate Democratic opposition in the Senate by attempting to push the bill through with just 51 votes rather than the usual 60. His spokesman told reporters the president "believes that an up or down vote is necessary."
Obama to Unveil New Health Care Bill Wednesday; "Much Smaller" Than House Bill, Says Pelosi; But Not a Retreat
Major Garrett - Row 2 Seat 4
UPDATE: White House and Democratic sources hasten to add late today that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not mean to suggest the new plan would constitute a retreat from comprehensive health care reform. Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said the speaker was trying to say the new Obama health care proposal would take its policy cues from the Senate health bill and the ideas Obama posted online a week ago.
| Latest Polling |
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Rasmussen Reports March 1, 2010 52% of U.S. voters continue to oppose the health care plan proposed by the president and congressional Democrats. |