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Obama's healthcare summit sets stage for end-game
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks at Democratic National Committee winter meeting in Washington February 6, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Yuri Gripas
WASHINGTON |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's call for a bipartisan healthcare summit sets the stage for a final push to get the stalled legislation through Congress, but skeptical Republicans said on Monday the only solution is to start over.
Obama asked Republicans to bring their best healthcare ideas to the February 25 conference in hopes of rejuvenating the issue, which has floundered since Democrats lost their crucial 60th Senate vote last month.
The summit, which Obama wants televised, would give him another chance to sway public opinion on the unpopular legislation that is critical to the president's domestic agenda.
The meeting also would answer criticism he did not engage Republicans and instead negotiated backroom deals in an effort to get it passed.
"The president is trying to turn around the sour mood on this issue and mitigate the criticism that he's ramming this bill down people's throats," said Bob Blendon, a health policy and political analyst at Harvard University.
But congressional Republicans said they were wary of Obama's intentions and were in no mood to compromise on a bill that polls show is opposed by a majority of Americans.
"Republicans welcome honest discussion, but this event reeks of political gamesmanship," said Republican Representative Tom Price. "The only constructive discussions will start with a blank sheet of paper."
The White House said the summit was not intended as a vehicle to start the healthcare debate all over again.
"The president doesn't think we should start over," White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said.
The session will give Republicans a chance to explain their unified opposition to the bill. They see their stance as a key to their upset victory in Massachusetts last month, when Republican Scott Brown claimed the Senate seat of late Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy.
NO COMPROMISE
"I don't think it's probably possible to compromise on this bill," Representative Dave Camp, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, told Reuters.
"The structure of it is done in such a way that it is going to raise costs, raise taxes and empower government to get between people and their doctors," he said.
Some said the setting -- a televised meeting of top leaders in both parties -- could lead to more political point-making than actual compromise and progress.
"In Washington, negotiations don't happen in front of cameras," Concept Capital, a private firm that tracks Congress and the White House for institutional investors, wrote in a report.
A summit marked by more partisan gridlock could give Obama an excuse to move ahead on the bill through a budget process that requires only a simple majority of 51 votes in the 100-member Senate, bypassing Republican opposition.
"Obama seems to be sending a signal they are going to go for the end run," Blendon said. "When he does, he can say 'I tried.'"
The battle over healthcare has consumed Congress since summer and Democrats are anxious to focus on job creation and the economy ahead of November congressional elections.
The bills would extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured and impose restrictions on insurance companies like requiring them to cover those with pre-existing medical conditions.
The Senate and House of Representatives had passed separate versions last year and were working to merge the two bills when Brown's election cut the process short.
Democrats said they hope to complete the process before the summit so they have a final product to offer. They said they have incorporated many Republican ideas into their bills already.
"We have promoted the pursuit of a bipartisan approach to health reform from day one," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said.
(Additional reporting by Donna Smith, Steve Holland and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Xavier Briand)
The Republicans will never agree to meeting Obama in public. They have nothing to add to this debate. Most everything they have said is a lie (Death Panels for one). Obama would show the people the Republicans for what they are, obstructionist at best, traitors at worst.
The Republicans will never agree to meeting Obama in public. They have nothing to add to this debate. Most everything they have said is a lie (Death Panels for one). Obama would show the people the Republicans for what they are, obstructionist at best, traitors at worst.
I wholly support the efforts toward improved healthcare legislation, but agree that the summit to involve the Repulicans should not be televised. And a half day meeting does not seem like it is a serious effort.
If this is not televised, then there will be no point in doing it. It’s time for the republicans to show the American people what they really stand for.
Republicans have a much better plan to reduce health care costs, with little cost to the taxpayers and without higher taxes. All that is needed is freedom for people to buy health insurance across state lines to increase competition, tort reform, and forcing the justice department to crack down on the billions of dollars of Medicare fraud.
Obama’s healthcare end game is to take over America’s health care while screwing Republicans at the same time. Republicans, if you haven’t learned you’re dealing with the devils when being “bipartisan” with the Democrats, you deserve the humiliation and betrayal that awaits your cooperation with Obama.
The bills that the Democrats put forth by both houses are not good bills. A simple litmus test is that if you have to bribe members of your own party to vote for a bill, then it is not a good bill. It is as simple as that.
The Democrats were very determined to rush this thing though without carefully examining its full ramifications. Something this complicated needs clear and honest debate, not the out and out bribery that we saw that is reminisce of Chicago politics.
I feel like we stood at the abbess and Scott Brown was able to pull us back. The Democrats do not seem to have any true interest of a good bill, they just want a bill untainted by Republican hands.
Yes the Republicans have been obstructionist and it was a good thing that they were.
The democrats had a supermajority, and were therefore not interested in true bipartisan and other well placed advice. They are paying, no WE are now paying for their hubris.
The bills put forth were mainly health insurance payment reform, not health care reform, so it is no great loss. This should be part of the package, but what we really want is higher quality, safer, more reproducible health care at a reasonable cost and delivered by a system that doesn’t stifle innovation.
For the President to tell the Republicans that he “listened to thier good ideas” suggests that he somehow knew a priori what a good idea was. He did not.
If the WH is serious about having this meeting they better hurry up and define the conversation. The GOP is already setting this up to be an ambush they are refusing to walk into.
Cantor send Rahm a message demanding the Dems shelve their plan, promise they won’t use reconciliation and the Dems must post their entire conversation on line 72 hours in advanced.
When the Dems don’t agree to this, the GOP will use it as their excuse to skip the meeting and put all the blame on the Dems. The Dems need to get ahead of the message and let America know what the GOP is asking and why they won’t give in to their demands.
If the Dems don’t explain, the GOP will be happy to explain for them.
