CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
July 31, 2009 – 12:06 a.m.
Card-Carrying Democrats Ready To Talk Health
By Bennet Roth, CQ Staff
As health care overhaul efforts start to resemble a high-stakes poker game, House and Senate Democratic leaders are sending their members home with what they hope is an ace in the hole: a card full of information to share with constituents to bring them on deck.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., said Thursday that Democratic lawmakers are being given a talking-points card listing faults of the current system, benefits of the proposed plan and the plan’s effect on specific districts.
“I think it’s important for people to know, because these are kitchen-table issues,” Pelosi said at her weekly news conference.
She said it was important to counter criticism — particularly from insurance companies, which she said “are out there in full force, carpet bombing, shock and awe” against the government-run insurance option in the House legislation.
Democratic leaders contend that the American public overwhelmingly supports a health care overhaul. Republicans respond that the more voters learn, the less they like the details.
The talking points are part of a concerted effort by Democrats to use the monthlong break to turn around what has become a precarious situation for the party, which has put many of its freshman and swing-district members in vulnerable situations by pushing legislation that polls show is sinking in voter approval. House members leave Friday; senators depart Aug. 7.
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer , D-Md., conceded that Democrats have been losing the message war over the legislation, as Republicans hammer away at its costs and claim it would lead to a “government takeover” of health care.
“We’re responsible for putting together a plan, and so we’ve been focused on that,” he said. “Republicans have been somewhat free to conjure up whatever they want.”
He predicted, however, that Democrats will regain lost ground over the recess as they explain to constituents how the House bill would benefit them.
In the Senate, Democrats plan to promote sections of the overhaul that have been approved by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, such as those that prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Negotiations continue in the Senate Finance Committee among three Democrats and three Republicans, including the chairman and the ranking Republican, in pursuit of a bipartisan bill that can win at least 60 votes on the floor.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has also been struggling to approve a bill after the leadership agreed to changes sought by committee Democrats in the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition.
Clearing Up Misinformation
A number of House Democrats say they need the recess to explain the plan and listen to their constituents, who they say are confused by all the claims and counterclaims made on cable news shows and in special interest advertising.
“People want health care; they just don’t want what is being described to them,” said Tom Perriello , a freshman Democrat from Virginia.
Perriello, who narrowly beat Republican incumbent Virgil H. Goode Jr. last year, has already been targeted by the GOP in his 2010 re-election bid. When he heads home next week, Perriello said, he will visit all 21 counties in his district to talk about health care and other issues.
Perriello, whose father and sister are pediatricians, said he wants to vote for a health care overhaul “but is not there yet.”
Another vulnerable freshman Democrat, Frank Kratovil Jr. of Maryland, welcomed the Democratic leadership’s decision to put off a full House vote on health care until after the recess. He said lawmakers need the time to educate voters. Even though a goal of the bill is to make sure that the estimated 47 million Americans without health insurance get coverage, Kratovil said, much of the concern is coming from people who are insured.
“They got good coverage and they don’t want it messed up,” he said.
Falling Public Support
A Pew Research Center telephone poll conducted July 22-26 found that, by a 6 percentage point margin, more Americans oppose (44 percent) the health care proposals before Congress than support them (38 percent), with 18 percent undecided.
“The American people are making their voices heard in the debate over health care, and one of the things they’re demanding is that we do something to lower costs,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky.
Gerald E. Connolly , D-Va., president of the House freshman class, said the complaints he hears on health care are coming from different perspectives.
“You get people who are motivated by the talking heads at Fox [News Channel],” he said. “A lot of them are pulling out tons of misinformation.”
Another group of people, Connolly said, have specific concerns, such as care for long-term illnesses, and want to know how the health care overhaul will address their needs.
Jared Polis , a freshman Democrat who represents a Colorado district anchored by the liberal university town of Boulder, said there has recently been a spike in calls to his office about health care.
“A lot of people have a misunderstanding about what we are doing,” he said.
Allen Boyd of Florida, one of the Blue Dog Democrats pressing the leadership to cut costs in the health care plan, said he would spend the next month talking to his constituents about the legislation.
“I think the discussions will be spirited,” he said.
Bart Jansen and Edward Epstein contributed to this story.
Comments
According to the CBS/New York Times poll, survey respondents get nervous about the low quality after the reform. In case you are a doctor, and your pay is dependent upon your patient's outcome, you will more likely strive to prescribe the best medicine for your patient, let alone avoiding unnecessary cares, and hope your patient will feel better as quickly as possible. I share the opinion that only a strong public option will be capable of getting the premium inflation under control.
Providing health insurance to 7% of the uninsured population will not drive health care costs down. Given the latest poll shows 89% of those who have health insurance are happy with their plans - why would the government want to take over health insurance? If they want to do something about health reform - it isn't through government insurance - they need to study what is driving up costs in the health industry. You bring down those costs - and it makes access to health care accessible AND it brings down health insurance premiums. The only reason for government insurance is to expand government and get more power. That is not reform. Here's the numbers - 307 million people - only 45 million are uninsured - that is 15% of the population. Of that 45 million 70 million actually have access to health care and are receiving it. So that leaves 15 million - or just 5% of the entire population not receiving insurance or health care. Why do we need a complete sweeping overhaul of HEALTH INSURANCE for a very small minority of the country? We don't. What we need is to help bring costs down through tort reform, investment in technology, investment in pharmaceutical R&D, and moving more people in to managed care plans. Obamacare is a scam. Don't believe those talking points. http://thebobofiles.com
Call it reform, call it competition, call it whatever you want. There is no competition in insurance now and there won't be unless there is a public option. Poor but accurate example: if an apple on one street corner costs a nickle less than an apple on the next street corner, why buy the more expensive apple? Soon enough that apple seller charging more will lower his price in order to compete. Anyone who thinks insurance companies aren't making a mint is either very naive or in denial. We keep hearing about the giant bonuses and perks the banking and finance industry get; take a look at the same for insurance companies. It's a real eye opener.
I for 1 have a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to the healthcare system in general. I have a 39 y.o. sister in law who lives in alabama. She is on medicaid, and disability for a back injury when she was working. Funny thing is though ever since being on disability for a back injury she has had 3 kids. All of whom are on medicaid as well. Not to mention her disability brings her an extra 1,600 a month. The kicker is her husband owns a store, and makes on average take home of 5,000 a week in a good month, or 10,000 for the whole month. They are behind in taxes by around 30,000 but yet they go on vacation every other month. All while on disability and medicaid. I have a monther in law, who is almost 70, that in the last 20 years of her life has had approximately 15 surgeries on her back, neck, legs etc...All on medicaid, then another 2 or 3 surgeries ever since qualifying for medicare. None of the surgeries did what they were suppose to do requiring more surgeries. Lets just say none of the surgeries in question for this one person cost less than 100,000....All at our expense.
I an m annoyed by comments here about Pelosi taking comey from healkth insurers. Is that supposed to mean she is somehow corrupted, or are you complaining that she has betrayed people who have aleady paid her off? The nerve of Pelosi!
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