Well, lookee here:
House Democrats insisted Tuesday they have no plans to roll over for the Senate in upcoming negotiations on a health reform bill, even as they acknowledged it would be all but impossible to reinsert a public insurance option or force the so-called millionaire’s tax on the Senate.
Either move would disrupt Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s no-margin-for-error 60-vote majority. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team seem to have their sights set on lower-profile – but no-less important differences, like boosting affordability credits in the final bill and starting the insurance exchange a year earlier, which they did in the House…
Other differences the speaker mentioned Tuesday include: replacing the Senate’s state-run exchanges with a national exchange established under the House bill, adding tougher mandates to make sure everyone secures health coverage and closing a gap in prescription-drug coverage next year.
It’s nice to see that the House is taking my advice. I wrote the following just before the big cloture vote Monday morning.
We need to take the Senate bill and make some improvements so that the bill is better from both a policy and a political point of view. We can’t win a public option of any kind. But we can make some tweaks to improve the subsidies, strengthen the regulations, and the phase in the exchanges quicker.
It’s true that Lieberman and Ben Nelson have veto power over any changes in the Conference Committee, but they are pretty locked-in to supporting final passage now that they have secured goodies for their home states. Both of them would probably balk at a public option (triggered, or otherwise), but they’re likely to be flexible on less highly-cherished progressive goals.
One thing I would advise the Obama administration to explore is the possibility of attracting Snowe and Collins to support final passage in lieu of Nelson and Lieberman, by stripping out the abortion language. Making that switch would be extremely difficult and might cause fatal problems in the House. Bringing on Collins, in particular, might just be impossible. But there would be a big pay-off if the switcheroo could be accomplished.
In my ideal world, we would resinsert a triggered public option and strip out the abortion language, get two Republican votes, and tear up the deals with Nelson and Lieberman and tell them to pound sand. The upside is so high that it should definitely be explored. However, I don’t think it can actually be accomplished.
I think it’s bad news that they don’t think they can get final passage before the State of the Union speech.
The White House privately anticipates health care talks to slip into February — past President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address — and then plans to make a “very hard pivot” to a new jobs bill, according to senior administration officials.
Obama has been told that disputes over abortion and the tight schedule are highly likely to delay a final deal, a blow to the president, who had hoped to trumpet a health care victory in his big speech to the nation. But he has also been told that House Democratic leaders seem inclined, at least for now, to largely accept the compromise worked out in the Senate, virtually ensuring he will eventually get a deal.
The Dems need to tighten up this schedule and get this bill passed.
“It’s true that Lieberman and Ben Nelson have veto power over any changes in the Conference Committee, but they are pretty locked-in to supporting final passage now that they have secured goodies for their home states. Both of them would probably balk at a public option (triggered, or otherwise), but they’re likely to be flexible on less highly-cherished progressive goals.”
You know I don’t believe this at all but we can hope you are correct.
New TPM story indicates 3 lefty reps have defected over the lack of Public Option. Of course, it’s also possible they get the push-back from Obama since that’s how he’s operated so far.
Why is Obama so…o…….o fixated on getting this done immediately? First of all, he let Nelson et al. drag their feet for months…makes no sense if timing is so critical. Second, by focusing so much on immediacy, he undermines his own bargaining position, regardless of what he hopes to accomplish. Thirdly, a far more important aspect of timing is when the provisions kick in and folks (hopefully) benefit from them; and yet, he doesn’t seem to care much about that.
Am I wrong to wonder whether they know what they are doing in the WH?
The bill has dragged out for almost a year. It is hurting Democrats in the public eyes and we need to get it done and move on to jobs, climate change and financial reform. The longer this drags on the greater the chance the bill fails.
nm
Not having the bill done and signed by the SOTU is disastrous for the Obama administration. It is the big agenda item so far. What accomplishments is he going to talk about if this isn’t passed? Congress has to get their act together and start moving faster.
Have you seen the new news about progressives in the House?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/12/23/818463/-Congresswoman-Slaughter-Opposes-The-Senate-Bill-
Looks like some are using pretty strong language. It’s not surprising that the media is trying to paint her as a “bill killer”, but that’s politico for you. It sounds more like she’s just being stern on the PO, along with some support for Lee and Woolsey. If they get a solid chunk of progressives, we might see some real improvement to the Senate bill!
And speaking of Politico…I’d point out that the story you post about Obama privately planning for delay should be taken with a grain of salt. Politico has been terrible for a long time, but they have been REALLY terrible about reporting “leaks” that turn out to be utterly untrue as of late.
If the Senate gets this passed before Christmas, I imagine the White House will be pushing mighty hard to get a final bill done before the SOTU. ConservaDems won’t have the ability to negotiate anymore, it will be “with us or against us” on whatever comes out of conference…so I imagine that the full weight of the White House (and History) should be able to push through voting quicker than we have seen so far.
I’m hoping for a signing before the SOTU, but I’m sure they’d still be happy if the bill is at least done/locked beforehand with the vote being a formality at that point.
We’ll see…it’s high stakes time.
OT, but hmm..
SusanHu’s got nothing on Jane.
At first, I thought that this was some festivus snark. sigh.
Sorry, and no offense to you, but I am just flat out sick of hearing about Hamsher’s war. She’s opposition research parading around as an activist at this point. It’s even more apparent when she’s working with people like Grover Norquist to take out the Chief of Staff because she’s pissed about losing the PO and blames him.
Well, the right wing is using her for everything they can. At first chance they get, they will drop her and continue their merciless assault on America. And she calls Obama supporters naive. Look in the fucking mirror, Jane. Do you honestly think that Fox invited you on because they’re interested in helping you? NO! They’re using you, just as Norquist is using you, to tear down every piece of what little liberal establishment that we have left in America. Wake the hell up.
Jane is getting used like the tool that she is, and we’re all going to get hurt by it. Thanks, Jane!
oh boy…hmm indeed.
grover norquist?!?! fer christsakes! ms hamsher has really jumped the shark with this stunt.