Democrats scramble on health care after GOP win

[ScreamingEagle]

Here are some of the options Dems are considering to still pass Obamacare...

Washington (CNN) -- Nervous Democrats debated Wednesday how to save a health care reform plan suddenly pushed to the brink of defeat by an upset GOP Senate win in Massachusetts.
...

"We are working through the best way forward," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said. "Health care continues to be a priority."

...


A number of House liberals, however, are pushing back hard against the idea of adopting the Senate plan without major changes. The more conservative Senate measure contains a number of provisions unpopular with progressives, including a 40 percent tax on insurance companies providing high-end "Cadillac" health plans.

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A key labor union, however, indicated a willingness Wednesday to go along with what has become known as a "two-step process."

"The House should pass the Senate's health insurance reform bill -- with an agreement that it will be fixed, fixed right and fixed right away through a parallel process," said Andy Stern, head of the Service Employees International Union.

A second option under consideration is to draft a new, stripped-down version of the bill capable of passing both chambers.

Such a bill, according to several rank-and-file Democrats, would focus on less controversial provisions, such as barring discrimination by insurers based on pre-existing conditions and closing the Medicare "doughnut hole" to bring down prescription drug costs.

"There are great concerns about the health insurance system and the kind of power that the insurance people have over people to deny care, to raise rates and so on," White House strategist David Axelrod told CNN Wednesday. Obama is "not going to walk away from that."

A third option -- trying to ram a compromise bill through the House and Senate before Brown is seated -- appears to be losing favor among Democrats. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, released a statement Tuesday night arguing that it would "only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health care legislation until Senator-elect Brown is seated."

A fourth option is to revisit the idea of trying to push health care through the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes.

But to do that Democrats would have to use a process known as reconciliation, which presents technical and procedural issues that would delay the process for, and Democrats are eager to put the health care debate behind them and move on to economic issues, such as job creation, as soon as possible in this election year.
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Democrats scramble on health care after GOP win - CNN.com

 

[Baruch Menachem]

A fifth option is to put a stake in its heart, cover it in garlic and bury it at the crossroads at the time of the new moon

 

[Big Black Dog]

A fifth option is to put a stake in its heart, cover it in garlic and bury it at the crossroads at the time of the new moon

 

[JakeStarkey]

I would hope for a compromise; however, I think the Dems will go for reconciliation. If the libs get their way, that is exactly what they will do, kicking sand in the Republicans' face and daring them to "get it on" in the November elections.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

A fifth option is to put a stake in its heart, cover it in garlic and bury it at the crossroads at the time of the new moon

Agreed...that's the best option of all...

 

[Xenophon]

Its dead, no matter how they try to save face with it and they know it.

 

[Annie]

I would hope for a compromise; however, I think the Dems will go for reconciliation. If the libs get their way, that is exactly what they will do, kicking sand in the Republicans' face and daring them to "get it on" in the November elections.

Of course you would. Funny you and the Democrats in Washington sounded very different when talking about the lock out of Republicans. *shrug*

 

[JakeStarkey]

Annie, Annie, Annie. . . (sigh)

 

[Annie]

Annie, Annie, Annie. . . (sigh)

Deep Jake, very deep.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

I would hope for a compromise; however, I think the Dems will go for reconciliation. If the libs get their way, that is exactly what they will do, kicking sand in the Republicans' face and daring them to "get it on" in the November elections.

Looks like a possibility but will it be enough?

The Senate Budget Committee Chairman [Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)] said Wednesday [today] he’s willing to use special rules to force changes to the healthcare legislation through the Senate with a simple majority vote.
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Some of the key compromises that were tentatively made between House and Senate Democratic leaders and the White House last week, however, could fall under the rubric of a budget reconciliation bill, such as changes to the taxes that would finance the healthcare bill. Conrad noted, however, that resolving disputes over issues like abortion funding and immigration would be much harder to accomplish through reconciliation.

Conrad opens door to reconciliation for healthcare - TheHill.com

 

[Zander]

Annie, Annie, Annie. . . (sigh)

Deep Jake, very deep.

Fake Jake's Douchebaggery knows no bounds. He still thinks he is fooling some people here....

 

[Murf76]

Its dead, no matter how they try to save face with it and they know it.

Agreed. I think it's toast.

That said, Obama HAS to pass some kind of meaningful legislation by November. I think it's most likely that they'll adopt some version of the Republican plan at this point, all the while pretending they came up with it all by themselves.

It would be INSANE to push ahead. People hate this plan on the right *and* on the left.

Personally, I would like to see a gradual moving away from employer-based health insurance. I think it would be great for business, and it would decrease the cost of insurance due to competition. Hell, when people are paying out of their own pockets... they shop more carefully. Allowing policies to be sold over state lines and letting people set up HSA's with pretax dollars and roll them over.... could go a long way toward encouraging people to get their own.

Whatever else he decides to work on, he'll have to do it on the cheap. People aren't going to put up with any more of this crazy spending.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Annie, Annie, Annie. . . (sigh)

Deep Jake, very deep.

Fake Jake's Douchebaggery knows no bounds. He still thinks he is fooling some people here....

What you think, Zander, is immaterial.

 

[Zander]

Deep Jake, very deep.

Fake Jake's Douchebaggery knows no bounds. He still thinks he is fooling some people here....

What you think, Zander, is immaterial.

It's not just me FakeJake, everyone here knows you're not a conservative. You can drop the charade.

 

[Rinata]

So what did National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn take from Scott Brown's (R) win last night?

In an interview on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports," Cornyn told Mitchell that when it comes to health care, the message voters were sending was, "Slow down and work together, and listen to us and our concerns. Don't just try to pass something and ignore our disapproval of what you are trying to do."

Cornyn: Time to slow down on reform - First Read - msnbc.com

I hope he is kidding. I have never seen a party bend over backwards like the Democrats have over this health care plan to try and please those old fart Republicans. Especially the prez. It makes me angry at him. He needs to get it through his head that Republicans will never, ever work with him or even try to appear to be reasonable. They are just dead weight.

And Mr. Cornyn is a lying sack of you know what.

I've sent several emails to the prez and I told him he is being way to accommodating and that he needs to ignore them.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Fake Jake's Douchebaggery knows no bounds. He still thinks he is fooling some people here....

What you think, Zander, is immaterial.

It's not just me FakeJake, everyone here knows you're not a conservative. You can drop the charade.

No, son, you far right wannabees have not taken over the party. Watch what Scott Brown has done and will do: get the bagger vote then ignore them.

 

[Vast LWC]

Two words:

Nuclear Option

 

[del]

Two words:

Nuclear Option

two words:

ha ha

 

[JakeStarkey]

Two words:

Nuclear Option

I think that is the most likely conclusion. If the Dems don't, then the Republicans will win many, many seats this fall, maybe taking back Congress. I did not think that was possible, but the Dem leadership, including BHO, have not show the guts of their opponents to get in there and fight. Palin may be a quitter, but most of the GOP powerhouses are not. They will fight, and the Dems had better step up if they want to continue ruling.

 

[MaggieMae]

I would hope for a compromise; however, I think the Dems will go for reconciliation. If the libs get their way, that is exactly what they will do, kicking sand in the Republicans' face and daring them to "get it on" in the November elections.

Nope. That would be political suicide. Obama has already stated he's willing to compromise.

Obama, allies now seek pared-down health care bill - Yahoo! News