CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
– HEALTH
June 2, 2009 – 12:38 p.m.
Obama Urging Senate Health Care Vote By August
By Bart Jansen, CQ Staff
With a mission of urgency set by the White House, Senate Democrats intend to move a single health care bill to the floor within weeks, despite concerns about disparities between versions shaping up in two different committees.
“I think the White House is essential,” said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd , D-Conn., who has been deputized to lead the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee deliberations by Chairman Edward M. Kennedy , D-Mass., who is battling brain cancer.
“The president is conveying how important it is to him,” Dodd said of a health care overhaul. “It’s his No. 1 domestic agenda item. He stated that all during the campaign. Clearly he intends to follow through on that promise.”
During a White House meeting Tuesday, President Obama told Democratic members of the two Senate committees in charge of health care legislation that completing an overhaul of health care is “not a luxury” and that the period from now to August is the “make or break period.”
He also urged Congress to insure more people and bring down the cost of health care.
“If we don’t get control over costs, then it is going to be very difficult for us to expand coverage,” Obama said. “These two things have to go hand in hand.”
The Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Max Baucus , D-Mont., shares jurisdiction over the health care overhaul, and has been proceeding along its own path — although committee leaders say they are coordinating their efforts.
After speaking with Dodd and Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., Baucus vowed Tuesday that the two committees would produce a single bill for debate on the Senate floor. He said the meeting with Obama foreshadows greater presidential attention and involvement over the coming weeks.
“Obviously the president will express his views on health care reform to Democrats on both committees. We hope that it will be involving an acceleration of the commitment to getting health care reform passed this year,” Baucus said. “He’s got a big megaphone. I suspect a little later on, over the next days and weeks, he’ll be using it a little more.”
HELP Committee Democrats planned to meet Tuesday afternoon to walk through the emerging legislation. “We’ll be walking through the bill,” Dodd said. “The staffs have already. We know a lot already. Sens. Mikulski, Harkin and Bingaman have done a great job already with 11 hearings on prevention, on coverage and quality. We’ll be reviewing those matters and the details of legislation over the first part of this week. We’ll be meeting with Republicans.”
He was referring to Barbara A. Mikulski , D-Md., Tom Harkin , D-Iowa, and Jeff Bingaman , D-N.M., who have shared the task of chairing hearings on various aspects of a health care overhaul.
Dodd said he also planned “an extensive meeting” Tuesday evening with Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming, the ranking Republican on HELP and also a Finance Committee member.
“Our goal is to have a bipartisan bill, if we can,” Dodd said.
Kennedy has been mostly absent from Capitol Hill during his illness, but still has led his committee’s work on a health care bill.
“Senator Kennedy is doing a good job at balancing his work on health care reform with his treatment plan, but he’s not planning to be back on the Hill this week,” said Anthony Coley, a spokesman for Kennedy.
Dispute Over Public Plan
The HELP Committee appears bent on including a government-run health plan among the options in its bill; it is not clear that such a plan will be part of the Finance package.
Republicans are vehemently opposed to any public plan, charging that it would eventually crowd out private insurers.
But a member of Democratic leadership, Charles E. Schumer of New York, said Democrats still hope to pursue a bipartisan bill.
“We’re going to do the best plan that we can. Nothing is off the table,” Schumer said. “Hopefully you can get reform that is bipartisan. Our first hope is to get bipartisan. We’ll see what happens.”
Liberals consider a public plan crucial to prevent private insurers from cherry-picking and to hold down prices to consumers. Republicans consider a public plan a deal-breaker.
“The public plan I think removes it from being a bipartisan bill,” Enzi said.
In his meeting with Dodd. Enzi hopes to hear more about how the committees will complete their action. Enzi said Republicans had been expecting to work jointly from a blank slate, but that if Democrats are drafting legislation on their own, it should be released so it can be compared with Republican proposals.
“The Kennedy staff put together a bill, but it hasn’t been released,” Enzi said. “It’s been a little hard for us to look at it and talk about it and work from it.”
Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Finance Committee, said he would consider a public plan among dozens of options being discussed. But he said Republicans fundamentally disagree with the concept of a public plan, arguing that it shouldn’t be needed if everyone is insured.
“It’s very difficult for our caucus,” Grassley said. “We see an inconsistency between the principle that we’re going to insure everybody, but then somehow you have a public option. If you’re going to have insurance, why do you need a public option?”
Republican Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, who agrees with Obama that health care should be overhauled this year, called for firm cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office before options are sorted out.
“Things are still taking shape. But we’re far from making decisions,” she said
As Republicans resist a public plan, HELP Democrats insist on it.
“I am a complete and unabashed supporter of the public option,” Mikulski said.
Sherrod Brown , D-Ohio, said “there needs to be a public plan in the Senate.”
“The problem is the private insurance companies are always a step ahead of the sheriff,” Brown said. “No matter what rules you write, they always figure out a way to insure you if you’re profitable and not insure me if I’m not profitable. The public plan absolutely needs to be in place to keep them in line, to keep them honest.”
Bob Casey , D-Pa., agreed on the need to keep private insurers competitive.
“I’d strongly support a public option. It is the subject of division,” Casey said. “But I don’t think we’re at the point yet where we know which way it’ll go. I think it’s important to have that competitive nature, to keep the accountability with the private sector, but also to give people options.”
Comments
MR Presidend I emplore you SIR do Not Rase the cost of Trycare there are thousand;s of Disabeld Veterans out there whome can not afford to pay mare and with the War's we are in noe More ar becoming Disabeld each day. Respectfully John M Effinger EX SFC US RET 100% Disabeld Vietnam Veteran
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