|
Health Care News Latest Health Care News
Friday, August 28, 2009 WSJ: Health Compromise to See Changes Before Vote, House Dems Say Two senior House Democrats said an agreement struck with centrist Blue Dog Democrats in late July on a public health insurance option might be altered before a health-care bill reaches the House floor. Under the Blue Dog deal which was included in legislation that passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Secretary of Health would negotiate payment rates to doctors and hospitals under the new public plan. Bloomberg: Grassley Says Deficit Will Limit Scope of Health-Care Overhaul Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, one of three Senate Republicans negotiating on health care, said the soaring federal budget deficit “puts a stake in the heart” of $1 trillion measures being considered by lawmakers. Grassley, the top Republican on the finance committee, said a bipartisan plan being discussed by panel members will have to be scaled back to have any chance of passing in the wake of new deficit projections released this week.
USA Today: Americans are getting serious about swine flu Americans are taking swine flu more seriously now than they did last spring, when the emerging pandemic began causing widespread illness and shuttering schools in several states, the latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows. The poll of 1,007 adults Wednesday found that one in three people believe they or a family member probably will contract H1NI flu, up from one in five in May.
Thursday, August 27, 2009 Politico: “Win One For Teddy” Not All That Simple “Let’s win one for Teddy” became the new health care reform rallying cry Wednesday, as Democrats hoped an emotional outpouring over Sen. Ted Kennedy’s death would give reform efforts a badly needed boost. But the political reality is more stark – as insiders predict the impact of Kennedy’s death is likely to be felt most in the legislative math. Democrats no longer have the 60 votes they need to pass a reform bill. Washington Post: Cooperatives’ Record is Up for Debate Rural electric cooperatives have a mixed track record, experts say. They brought electricity to millions of rural Americans who lacked it in the 1930s and today serve about 14 percent of Americans. But after 75 years, the rural electric cooperatives still rely heavily on federal credit subsidies, have weak balance sheets and, some studies suggest, operate less efficiently than privately-owned utilities. IBD Editorial: Vive Le French Care? Health care in France is often held up as a model the U.S. might follow. Yet the French have their own problems that show there's no such thing as a free lunch — or a free doctor's visit. AP: CDC Leery of Estimates about Swine Flu Toll Government health officials are urging people not to panic over estimates of 90,000 people dying from swine flu this fall. "Everything we've seen in the U.S. and everything we've seen around the world suggests we won't see that kind of number if the virus doesn't change," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Wednesday, August 26, 2009 The Hill: Higher Deficits Complicate Health Care Push The Obama administration on Tuesday forecast a soaring 10-year budget deficit, underscoring the difficulty of winning congressional approval of healthcare legislation this year. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) raised deficit projections to $9 trillion over the next decade from $7.1 trillion and predicted unemployment would rise above 10 percent. USA Today: Obama Supporters Plan Pro-Health Overhaul Push Supporters of President Obama's health care agenda are ramping up their efforts with rallies and bus tours starting this week, aiming to counter increasing public skepticism leading up to Congress' post-Labor Day return to Washington. As conservative groups have organized against Democrats' health care legislation and cast it as a government takeover of health care, polls have shown fading public support for sweeping changes, and skepticism over Obama's handling of the issue. Tuesday, August 25, 2009 The Hill: Democrats Increase Talk of Moving Health Care Without GOP A leading House Democrat on Monday said Democrats are prepared to pass healthcare reform without Republican support, echoing comments made over the weekend by a leading Senate Democrat. Liberal groups around the country have been frustrated with efforts by some Senate Democrats to craft a bipartisan bill through negotiations among six members of the Senate Finance Committee. They’ve worried those discussions will needlessly water down a bill. USA Today: Republicans Offer Health ‘Bill of Rights’ to Seniors Republicans are targeting older Americans worried about President Obama's health overhaul plans with a "seniors' health care bill of rights." The six principles outlined Monday by the Republican National Committee include protecting Medicare, prohibiting rationing of health care based on age and making sure government doesn't get between seniors and their doctors. ABC News: WH Advisory Says Up to Half of U.S. Could Get Swine Flu Up to half of the population of the U.S. could come down with the swine flu and 90,000 could die this season, according to a dire report from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. The report, which claims as many as 1.8 million people could end up in the hospital seeking treatment for the H1N1 virus, comes as government officials push drug companies to make a vaccine available next month. Monday, August 24, 2009 Roll Call: Hope Lingers for Bi-Partisan Deal, Reconciliation Talks Increases Senators from both parties are holding out hope for a bipartisan health care bill, but with a deal still elusive Democrats are eyeing an unpopular proposal to pass reform legislation under budget rules that would require the measure to get only 51 votes. Even Democrats on Sunday sounded wary of using the reconciliation process in order to pass a health reform bill. USA Today: Growing Deficit Frames Health Care Debate Lawmakers said Sunday that President Obama must scale back ambitious plans to overhaul health care because ballooning budget deficits are undermining support for more comprehensive and costly legislation. As the White House prepares to release worse-than-expected deficit projections this week, even Democrats in Congress said that whatever health care bill emerges this fall will have to cost less than the $1 trillion price tag contemplated earlier this year. Politico: Schumer Hot For All-Democrat Option on Health Care Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is signaling that he's nearly ready to give up on bipartisan health care reform talks in favor of options that could be pursued solely by Democrats. On NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, Schumer made three separate mentions of trying to push a health care bill through the Senate with all 60 Democratic votes, regardless of whether Republicans are on board. Friday, August 21, 2009 Politico: Pelosi Says No Bill Without Public Option Foreshadowing a House-Senate showdown, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday there is "no way" the House can pass a health care bill without a government-run insurance option. Speaking at a news conference in San Francisco, Pelosi told reporters that a public option will "keep insurance companies honest." WSJ: Obama Faults GOP in Health Debate President Barack Obama, seeking to rally his base, accused Republican leaders Thursday of trying to block a health-care overhaul from the start and again threw his weight behind a government-run insurance plan. During a radio call-in show and at a town-hall meeting of supporters, Mr. Obama tacked to the left as Democratic allies inched toward trying to pass a health-care bill on their own.
Thomas Sowell: Deception is at the Heart of Dems’ Plan Despite incessant repetition of the fact that millions of Americans do not have medical insurance, hardy souls who have actually read the mammoth medical care legislation being rushed through Congress have discovered all sorts of things there that have nothing whatever to do with insuring the uninsured-- and everything to do with taking medical decisions out of the hands of doctors and their patients, and transferring those decisions to Washington bureaucrats. WSJ: ObamaCare’s Contradictions Over the past week, President Obama has held three town-halls to make the case for his health-care plan. While he didn't say much that he hasn't said a thousand times before, his remarks did offer another explanation for the public's skepticism of ObamaCare. Namely, the President contradicts himself every other breath. Politico: Parties Deal Blame as White House Goes Solo on Health Reform President Barack Obama now realizes he probably will have to pass health reform with Democratic votes alone, White House officials say. The admission is a monumental shift in Washington’s top fight of the year, with the energy now shifting to differences among Democrats, rather than efforts to lure a critical mass of Republicans. Despite the White House signals Wednesday, the bipartisan negotiations on the Senate Finance Committee are continuing. The staff speak daily and the six senators will soon hold their first conference call since the recess began. ABC News: Senate Democratic Leadership Will Pass Health Care Reform “By Any Means Necessary” Amidst questions of whether or not any Senate Republicans will support a health care reform bill, Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., today said that the “White House and the Senate Democratic leadership still prefer a bipartisan bill.” Manley said that “we will not make a decision to pursue reconciliation until we have exhausted efforts to produce a bipartisan bill. However,” he cautioned, “patience is not unlimited and we are determined to get something done this year by any legislative means necessary.” Washington Post: Sen. Grassley Urges Caution After being besieged by protesters at meetings across his home state of Iowa, Grassley said he has concluded that the public has rejected the far-reaching proposals Democrats have put on the table, viewing them as overly expensive precursors to "a government takeover of health care." Real Clear Politics: Firms with Obama Ties Profit from Health Push President Barack Obama's push for a national health care overhaul is providing a financial windfall in the election offseason to Democratic consulting firms that are closely connected to the president and two top advisers. NBC News: Americans Still Skeptical About Obama’s Plans Two weeks since raucous congressional town-hall meetings on health care became a national story — and days after President Barack Obama began holding his own town halls — Americans remain skeptical about White House plans to overhaul the nation’s health system, according to a new NBC News poll. A plurality believes Obama’s health plan would worsen the quality of health care, a result that is virtually unchanged from last month’s NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. What’s more, only four in 10 approve of the president’s handling of the issue, which also is unchanged from July. Washington Post: Debate’s Path Caught Obama by Surprise President Obama's advisers acknowledged Tuesday that they were unprepared for the intraparty rift that occurred over the fate of a proposed public health insurance program, a firestorm that has left the White House searching for a way to reclaim the initiative on the president's top legislative priority. Michael Goodwin: Health Care Debate Confirms This is Not the Barack Obama We Elected Taking the stage for a town hall meeting on health care the other day, President Obama emerged from behind a curtain in a fake jog. He pumped his arms in an exaggerated fashion, but his smile looked forced as he waved and shook hands with a few audience members. Where have you gone, Barack Obama? Where is the sunny-side-up young man who promised to inspire and unite an unhappy nation? NYT: Democrats Seem Set to Go It Alone on a Health Bill Given hardening Republican opposition to Congressional health care proposals, Democrats now say they see little chance of the minority’s cooperation in approving any overhaul, and are increasingly focused on drawing support for a final plan from within their own ranks. Top Democrats said Tuesday that their go-it-alone view was being shaped by what they saw as Republicans’ purposely strident tone against health care legislation during this month’s Congressional recess, as well as remarks by leading Republicans that current proposals were flawed beyond repair. WSJ: White House Rethinks How it Sells Health Overhaul President Barack Obama, trying to regain control of the health-care debate, will likely shift his pitch in September, White House and Democratic officials said, as he faces pressure from supporters to talk more about the moral imperative to provide health insurance to all Americans. The rethinking comes amid a struggle by the White House to clarify its view on a public insurance plan. Kathleen Sebelius said Sunday that a public plan isn't the "essential element" of a health bill, prompting sharp words from liberal groups. CNN: Obama Follows Clinton’s Path but Hopes for Different Ending With his push for health care reform on the line, the president delivered a message of urgency to the public. As President Obama ratchets up the pressure on Congress to pass health care reform this year, he's following in the footsteps of the 42nd president. From his prime time push to his town hall meetings, Obama is taking the same path as Clinton, but hoping for a different ending. Clinton and Obama faced similar climates. Both made health care their signature issue, even though most people were happy with their coverage and were more concerned with fixing the economy. Tuesday, August 18, 2009 William McGurn: Harry Reid’s ‘Evil’ Moment The Senate majority leader invoked the e-word himself last week at an energy conference in Las Vegas, where he accused those protesting President Barack Obama's health-care proposals of being "evil mongers." So proud was he of this contribution to the American political lexicon that he repeated it to a reporter the next day and noted the phrase was "an original." NYT: Alternate Plan as Health Option Muddies Debate The White House has indicated that it could accept a nonprofit health care cooperative as an alternative to a new government insurance plan, originally favored by President Obama. But the co-op idea is so ill defined that no one knows exactly what it would look like or how effectively it would compete with commercial insurers. What is certain is that, as a substitute for a government plan, the co-op concept disappoints many liberals and stirs little enthusiasm among insurers or Republican lawmakers. CNN: ‘Excellent Idea’ to Start Over on Health Care Reform Acknowledging his amazement at the crowds gathered to debate health care at his town halls, Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Florida, faced three large gatherings on Monday with many questioners voicing skepticism about the proposals being debated in Washington. Washington Post: Coverage vs. Cost What began as an attempt to provide decent health care to all Americans has metamorphosed into a battle over health-care costs. As Lori Montgomery reported in this newspaper, both Republicans and some Democrats are saying that the top priority for health-care reform, and a prerequisite for passage, will be "bending the curve" -- reducing the long-term growth rate of health-care costs. WSJ: White House Reassures Allies The White House sought Monday to reassure allies that its enthusiasm for a government-sponsored insurance plan remains strong, following an uproar over comments by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The White House sent an email to members of Congress and other supporters saying that President Barack Obama wants a public insurance option as part of health-care overhaul. Ms. Sebelius seemed to suggest otherwise on Sunday, saying a public option isn't an "essential element." NY Times: Public Option May Be Dropped The White House, facing increasing skepticism over President Obama’s call for a public insurance plan to compete with the private sector, signaled Sunday that it was willing to compromise and would consider a proposal for a nonprofit health cooperative being developed in the Senate. The “public option,” a new government insurance program akin to Medicare, has been a central component of Mr. Obama’s agenda for overhauling the health care system, but it has also emerged as a flashpoint for anger and opposition. Politico: GOP Gains Steam as Health Care Bill Sputters After two terrible elections when independent voters turned away from the GOP and the party lost control of the White House and the Senate, Republicans finally have a little spring back in their step thanks to a health care debate that has done more to cool off Obama-mania and reignite the conservative base than even most of its leaders had hoped. The Hill: Obama Picks Fight With Left on Health Reform In backing away from its support for a public option in healthcare reform, the Obama administration is picking a fight with the liberal wing of the Democratic party. Still, liberals might have a hard time dropping their support for landmark legislation reforming healthcare over the lack of a public plan, particularly if a final bill does set up co-ops. In addition, the dropping of a public option could make it easier for the bill to attract support from conservative Democrats and Republicans. Roll Call: Ross Has the Last Word – Period Rep. Mike Ross, the chief health care negotiator for the Blue Dog Democrats, continued to separate himself from liberal members of the House Democratic Caucus with the “Last Word” Sunday on CNN's “State of the Union.” And he said he expects bipartisan efforts taking place in the Senate to dominate the outcome. Friday, August 14, 2009
Washington Post: Deficit Plays Into Health Reform With polls showing rising concern over the government's grim financial situation, key Republicans and a growing number of Democrats say it will be hard to push an ambitious health reform bill through Congress unless it reduces projected federal spending on medical care and begins to bring the national debt under control.
Politico: Are Democrats Losing August? After an intimate White House lunch last week, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said he was confident President Barack Obama was working toward a truly bipartisan health care reform bill. But then he went home to Iowa, and the message changed. In a series of tough town halls, he fueled fears of death panels and benefits for illegal immigrants. He suggested the White House would push a purely partisan bill. And he proclaimed himself an outsider in health care negotiations.
WSJ Editorial: Obama’s Senior Moment Elderly Americans are turning out in droves to fight ObamaCare, and President Obama is arguing back that they have nothing to worry about. Allow us to referee. While claims about euthanasia and "death panels" are over the top, senior fears have exposed a fundamental truth about what Mr. Obama is proposing: Namely, once health care is nationalized, or mostly nationalized, rationing care is inevitable, and those who have lived the longest will find their care the most restricted.
Charles Krauthammer: The Prevention Myth In the 48 hours of June 15-16, President Obama lost the health-care debate. First, a letter from the Congressional Budget Office to Sen. Edward Kennedy reported that his health committee's reform bill would add $1 trillion in debt over the next decade. Then the CBO reported that the other Senate bill, being written by the Finance Committee, would add $1.6 trillion. The central contradiction of Obamacare was fatally exposed: From his first address to Congress, Obama insisted on the dire need for restructuring the health-care system because out-of-control costs were bankrupting the Treasury and wrecking the U.S. economy -- yet the Democrats' plans would make the problem worse. Thursday, August 13, 2009 ABC News: Health Care Push Faces Mounting Concern Over Deficit With mounting criticism of the Democrats' push for health care overhaul, President Barack Obama is trying to regain the momentum. Yet, regaining the momentum may become increasingly difficult in light of the soaring federal deficit, which increased by $180 billion in July alone.
USA Today: Protests Making Independents More Likely to Oppose Obamacare The raucous protests at congressional town-hall-style meetings have succeeded in fueling opposition to proposed health care bills among some Americans, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds — particularly among the independents who tend to be at the center of political debates.
Politico: Massive Campaign for Obama Hits Air A new coalition on Thursday is launching $12 million in television ads to support President Barack Obama’s health-reform plan, in the opening wave of a planned tens of millions of dollars this fall. The new group, funded largely by the pharmaceutical industry, is called Americans for Stable Quality Care. It includes some odd bedfellows: the American Medical Association, FamiliesUSA, the Federation of American Hospitals, PhRMA and SEIU, the service employees’ union.
Politico: The Democrats’ Senior Problem Democrats have a senior citizen problem. Frustrated older Americans are packing the town halls on health care. They are incredibly passionate about their Medicare benefits. Polls show senior citizens largely disapprove of health care reform ideas so far.
The Hill: Dem Talking Points – Change over Status Quo Senate Democratic leaders are driving home a handful of key points during this month’s town hall forums on healthcare: Reform will be fully funded, will not jeopardize current doctor-patient relationships, and is the only alternative to the current, broken system.
WSJ Editorial: The Truth About Health Insurance The White House is priming the defibrillator paddles to revive ObamaCare, and its new strategy is to talk about "health-insurance reform," rather than "health-care reform." The point is to make its proposals seem less radical than they are, while portraying private insurers as villains for supposedly denying coverage to the sick.
CEO of Whole Foods: The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare At Whole Foods we allow our team members to vote on what benefits they most want the company to fund. Our Canadian and British employees express their benefit preferences very clearly—they want supplemental health-care dollars that they can control and spend themselves without permission from their governments. Why would they want such additional health-care benefit dollars if they already have an "intrinsic right to health care"? The answer is clear—no such right truly exists in either Canada or the U.K.—or in any other country.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
WSJ: Health Debate Isn’t About Health The health debate, which now has moved beyond the Beltway and into raucous town halls across the land, is so intense in part because it's not really about health care at all. On a deeper level, it's about the role of government in America's economy.
Politico: Obama Distances Himself From Pelosi, Hits the Campaign Trail Ahead of his own town hall Tuesday, President Barack Obama sought to distance himself from charges by Democratic congressional leaders that boisterous health care dissent is "un-American," with his spokesman saying that the protests are a part of American life. Yet Obama could be in for similar disruptions as he takes the health care road-show to Portsmouth, N.H., where both sides are gearing up for a vigorous session.
Pelosi & Hoyer: Dissent Is No Longer Patriotic It is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue. These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades.
The Hill: House Dems Set Up Health Care ‘War Room’ House Democratic leaders have set up a healthcare “war room” to help their rank-and-file members navigate a tumultuous August in which they find themselves on the defensive on their signature issue.
Washington Post: Key Democrat Feels the Heat at Home The war's on," says Rep. Baron P. Hill, and he's not talking about a conflict overseas, but a battle over health care in his own back yard, where thousands of people are trying to tell him what to do, some not so nicely.
Politico: Obama Astroturfs Organizing for America, President Obama's political organization, is urging supporters to visit the district offices of their local member of Congress to urge support for healthcare reform -- another move by Democrats to counter the loud opposition being voiced by conservatives at town halls. Peggy Noonan: ‘You Are Terrifying Us’ We have entered uncharted territory in the fight over national health care. There’s a new tone in the debate, and it’s ugly. At the moment the Democrats are looking like something they haven’t looked like in years, and that is: desperate. Robert Samuelson: Obama’s Health Care Will Make it Worse One of the bewildering ironies of the health care debate is that President Obama claims to be attacking the status quo when he's actually embracing it. Ever since Congress created Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, health politics has followed a simple logic: Expand benefits and talk about controlling costs. That's the status quo, and Obama faithfully adheres to it. NYT: Drug Industry OKs $150 Million Ad Blitz Supporting Obamacare The drug industry has authorized its lobbyists to spend as much as $150 million on television commercials supporting President Obama’s health care overhaul, beginning over the August Congressional recess, people briefed on the plans said Saturday. Washington Post: U.S. Prepares for Swine Flu’s Return As the first influenza pandemic in 41 years has spread during the Southern Hemisphere's winter over the past few months, the United States and other northern countries have been racing to prepare for a second wave of swine flu virus.
AP: Top Democrat Denounces Health Care Protests The Senate's most powerful Democrat on Thursday scolded health care protesters dogging his party's lawmakers at local meetings, arguing that some critics on the political right have run out of ideas—and ditched their civic manners. Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada accused the protesters of trying to "sabotage" the democratic process. Energized conservative activists said they'll keep up their fight against Obama's effort. Andrew Ross: DNC Accuses Insurance Companies for Health Care Backlash A DNC operation accuses insurance companies, along with special interests, and partisan attack organizations of spreading smears about the president’s plan for reform, trying to incite constituents into lashing out at their representatives and disrupting their events. My question to the DNC is, who is smearing who? Charles Krauthammer: Health Care Reform: A Better Plan In 1986, Ronald Reagan and Bill Bradley created a legislative miracle. They fashioned a tax reform that stripped loopholes, political favors, payoffs, patronage and other corruptions out of the tax system. With the resulting savings, they lowered tax rates across the board. Those reductions, combined with the elimination of the enormous inefficiencies and perverse incentives that go into tax sheltering, helped propel a 20-year economic boom.
Washington Post: Democrats Weigh the Calculus of Public Option As Congress breaks for its August recess, the debate back home will center on Democratic proposals to create a government-run insurance option, which insurers and Republicans are casting as a step toward socialized medicine. Most Republicans in Congress are dead set against a public option, saying it would drive insurers out of business.
Peggy Noonan: Voters Send a Message to Washington, and Get an Ugly Response We have entered uncharted territory in the fight over national health care. There’s a new tone in the debate, and it’s ugly. At the moment the Democrats are looking like something they haven’t looked like in years, and that is: desperate. They must know at this point they should not have pushed a national health-care plan.
Politico: White House Tells Democrats to ‘Punch Back Twice as Hard’ Top White House aides gave Senate Democrats a recess battle plan on Thursday, arming the lawmakers with tips for avoiding disastrous town hall meetings while showing them polling on popular aspects of the reform effort.
AP: Activists Say No Letup for Health Care Protests Conservative activists are vowing to keep up their fight against President Barack Obama's health care plans, even as the Democratic Party pushes back hard, accusing Republicans of organizing angry mobs.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Karl Rove: Obama Resorting to Tricks and Evasion Americans are now seeing the damage that polls and focus groups can inflict on White House decision-making. President Barack Obama is no longer shaping the public dialogue on health-care reform. Instead, he is losing control of his agenda and resorting to rhetorical tricks and evasions.
Washington Post: Protests at Democrats’ Health-Care Events Spark Political Tug of War Hectoring protesters at a handful of Democratic town hall forums became a flash point Wednesday in the health-care debate, as party leaders cast the critics as "angry mobs" trying to "destroy President Obama" while Republicans accused Democrats of dismissing public opposition to their proposals.
Michael Barone: Obama Would Stifle Military and Medical Creativity We Americans tend to take the great strengths of our country for granted. In the hubbub of political debate, we concentrate on things that are allegedly wrong with America and lose sight of our great achievements. We make up only 4 percent of the world's population. Yet we lead the world in many ways, and the rest of the world -- or that part of it not in the thrall of evil regimes -- depends on us for many of the things necessary to the good life.
AP: Arkansas Crowd Mocks Lawmakers Over Obama Health Plan An unruly Little Rock crowd heckled and shouted at two Arkansas Democratic congressmen Wednesday, accusing them of supporting a government-backed health plan that would take away Americans' personal choice and freedom. At one point, U.S. Rep. Mike Ross sat with his head in his hands while the crowd shouted. He and fellow Democratic Rep. Vic Snyder told audience members at a forum at Arkansas Children's Hospital that they wouldn't support a completely government-run, single-payer health insurance plan. plan.
AP: Government Insurance Would Allow Coverage for Abortion Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue. Wednesday, August 05, 2009 WSJ: As Congress Goes on Break, Health Lobbying Heats Up The health-insurance industry said Tuesday it is launching an effort to send insurance-company employees to public meetings nationwide this month to rebut increasing criticism of the industry from the White House and top Democrats. In the lobbying frenzy, many longtime allies are divided, often pitting hospital against hospital, retailer against retailer and doctor against doctor. Washington Post: Groups Take Health-Reform Debate to Airwaves The increasingly heated fight over health-care legislation is saturating the summer airwaves, with groups on all sides of the debate pouring tens of millions of dollars into advertising campaigns designed to push the cause of reform forward, slow it down or stop it in its tracks. Washington Times: Dems Attack, Create Grass-Roots Effort on Health The White House tried to diminish the opposition as both sides were gearing up for the most crucial and potentially perilous leg of the journey of the president's signature legislative initiative. Mr. Obama had hoped to reach a resolution before a long August lull, during which advocacy groups could chip away at the support of the measure and members of Congress would have prolonged exposure to feedback from their constituents. John Stossel: Impossible Promises I keep reading about health-care "reform," but I have yet to see anyone explain how the government can make it easier for more people to obtain medical services, control the already exploding cost of those services and not interfere with people's most intimate decisions. You don't need to be a Ph.D. in economics to understand that government cannot do all three things. Jay Cost: Five Political Blunders As Congress heads into recess, it is a good time to evaluate its efforts in enacting health care reform. My opinion is that the leadership and the President have committed some significant blunders. While a bill is still quite possible, they have to stop making unforced errors. Here are five big mistakes they have made. Tuesday, August 04, 2009 Politico: Democrats’ Break Looking Like a Bad Trip Angry protesters shouted down Democrats at public events from Texas to Pennsylvania over the weekend, leaving the party only one real hope for getting its message out over recess: a backlash. Los Angeles Times: Obama Gives Powerful Drug Lobby a Seat at Healthcare Table As a candidate for president, Barack Obama lambasted drug companies and the influence they wielded in Washington. He even ran a television ad targeting the industry's chief lobbyist, former Louisiana congressman Billy Tauzin, and the role Tauzin played in preventing Medicare from negotiating for lower drug prices. Since the election, Tauzin has morphed into the president's partner. The Hill: Left is Miffed at Pelosi Over Her Comment House liberals are offended that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) mocked their threats to oppose a Democratic healthcare bill, saying leaders are underestimating their frustration over a deal cut with centrist Blue Dogs. AP: Dems Vow Bill With or Without Republicans Frustrated with the pace of bipartisan talks, Democratic leaders on Monday promised to push a sweeping health care bill through the Senate whether they get Republican support or not. Schumer said Democratic leaders continue to look at invoking a procedural maneuver that would allow them to pass the health bill with 51 instead of 60 votes. That route is viewed as a last resort since it limits what legislative measures would be allowed and any broad policy initiatives would probably have to be limited.
The Hill: Senate Dems at Odds Over Health Deadline A bipartisan group of senators has yet to establish a deadline for completing healthcare legislation, according to Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), contradicting a party leader. Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee who is leading closed-door negotiations, downplayed reports the he had until Sept. 15 to complete work on the bill. Monday, August 03, 2009 LA Times: Democrats Walk a Careful Line on Healthcare Many lawmakers head home for their August recess to face constituents skeptical of Congress' overhaul plans. For Democrats in conservative districts, this could be a tough sell. Politico: Senate Dems Spar Over Public Plan Internal clashes about the government insurance option have begun to spill into the open — as Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) has gone public with his case against consumer-owned health care cooperatives, which are viewed as a compromise between progressives who want a public competitor to private insurers and Republicans who don’t want a new government plan. Washington Post: Obama Trims Sails on Health Reform From the start of his presidency, Barack Obama made clear that his plan for enacting comprehensive health-care reform came down to three words: fast, broad and bipartisan. That was then. Now, as lawmakers begin to flee Washington for a month-long recess, the White House team is retooling its message and strategy, hoping a more modest approach will reinvigorate Obama's signature domestic policy initiative and give him a first-year victory for Democrats to carry into the 2010 midterm elections. Lanny Davis: Obama’s Health Plans Confusing I am guessing that in the early days of the Obama administration, probably shortly after the arrival of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, the "strategic decision" on health care was made, one that we are now watching unfold in recent days in Washington. LA Times: Debating Prevention’s Place in Healthcare Bill As Congress struggles to decide how America should take care of its sick, another controversy is simmering over whether the healthcare legislation should include billions of dollars aimed at keeping people well. A draft Senate bill would provide up to $10 billion annually for a "prevention and public health investment fund" -- a portion of which could be used for infrastructure projects, such as bike paths and farmers markets meant to curb chronic and costly conditions like obesity. Friday, July 31, 2009 Washington Times: Reform School Confused by health care reform? Rep. Tom Price has a little prescription for the Obamacare-challenged. Mr. Price is both a physician and chairman of the House Republican Study Committee, which introduced "The Empower Patients First Act" on Thursday. It equates increased patient control over personal health decisions with better care. Politico: Blue Dogs Pulled In Two Directions Color it blue, this latest House deal to keep health care reform moving: Blue Dogs, Blue Cross-Blue Shield and all the blues sung by rural, middle-income and working-class families if no relief comes on medical insurance. Battered in the polls, a desperate White House is hailing the bargain as a way to preserve momentum before the August recess. Fox News: Liberals Protest Health Care Deal Party leaders are quickly finding out that you can't please all Democrats all the time, as they try to reach an accord on health care reform. One day after House Democratic leaders struck what was seen as a breakthrough deal with a handful of key moderates, the liberal wing of the party lined up Thursday against the compromise. The Hill: Democrats Launch August Health Care Defense House Democrats have started to pick up the pieces on healthcare reform, but they face a difficult month at home defending their legislation to skeptical constituents. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday laid the groundwork for their defense. She blamed the health insurance industry and urged her members to do the same during their four-week break. Charles Krauthammer: Obama Will Settle For Less on Health Care Yesterday, Barack Obama was God. Today, he's fallen from grace, the magic gone, his health-care reform dead. If you believed the first idiocy -- and half the mainstream media did -- you'll believe the second. Don't believe either. Conventional wisdom always makes straight-line projections. They are always wrong. Yes, Obama's aura has diminished, in part because of overweening overexposure. Thursday, July 30, 2009 AP: RSC to Introduce Budget Neutral Health Reform Solution House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a $700 billion health care plan that would offer tax credits to help people buy insurance, yet unlike Democratic proposals, wouldn't require either individuals or employers to get coverage. The plan would offer tax deductions and tax credits to help make the purchase of health insurance more affordable for individuals. It would provide grants to states to help set up high-risk pools for people with medical problems who are denied coverage by commercial insurers. WSJ: Support Slips for Obama Health Plan Support for President Barack Obama's health-care effort has declined over the past five weeks, particularly among those who already have insurance, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found, amid prolonged debate over costs and quality of care. In mid-June, respondents were evenly divided when asked whether they thought Mr. Obama's health plan was a good or bad idea. In the new poll, conducted July 24-27, 42% called it a bad idea while 36% said it was a good idea. Politico: Liberal’s Gag Over Health Deal House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spent half of Wednesday finalizing a deal with the Blue Dogs — and the other half quelling a brewing rebellion among progressives who think conservatives have hijacked health care reform. Liberals, Hispanics and African-American members — Pelosi’s most loyal base of support — are feeling betrayed after House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) reached an agreement with four of seven Blue Dogs on his committee who had been bottling up the bill over concerns about cost. Roll Call: Democratic Health Care Deal Far From Sealed Congressional Democrats steered their landmark health care overhaul back from the brink Wednesday by notching breakthroughs in both chambers, but the package still faces a long and bumpy ride to passage. House leaders who have struggled for weeks to bring fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats on board announced a deal paving the way to get the bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee, but not to the floor, before the August break. WSJ Editorial: Pelosi’s Job Tax Even many Democrats are revolting against Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 5.4% income surtax to finance ObamaCare, but another tax in her House bill isn’t getting enough attention. To wit, the up to 10-percentage point payroll tax increase on workers and businesses that don’t provide health insurance. This should put to rest the illusion that no one making more than $250,000 in income will pay higher taxes.
Related Documents: Related Files:
|
Congressman Scott Garrett Proudly Serving the 5th District Of New Jersey
