Healthcare
Palin meets N.H.'s Ayotte, headed for Iowa and S.C.
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Prospective Republican presidential contender Sarah Palin will continue her "One Nation" tour beyond Washington, D.C., and the New England states.
She said this morning that she plans to take her tour to Iowa and South Carolina, two early voting states.
She made the announcement after having breakfast in Portsmouth with US Senator Kelly Ayotte.
While Palin insisted her visit to the Granite State wasn't a poke in the eye to Mitt Romney as her potential rival held two days of events in New Hampshire, news of her visit trumped coverage of Romney’s formal announcement speech yesterday.
"Palin hits the Seacoast," blared a four-column headline in today's New Hampshire Union Leader.
A story about Romney's speech was relegated to Page A3.
Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mviser.
Live blog of Romney presidential announcement
Glen Johnson/Globe Staff
Mitt and Ann Romney served up her chicken-and-bean chili today before the former Massachusetts governor publicly declared his second campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
STRATHAM, N.H. — Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney today publicly launched his second bid for the presidency with an outdoor speech at a farm in the lead primary state of New Hampshire.
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1:16 p.m. - "I refuse to believe that America is just another place on the map with a flag," Mitt Romney told the crowd.
"We know we can bring country back," he said, before reprising a line from the movie, "The American President." "I'm Mitt Romney. I believe in America. And I'm running for president of the United States.
The declaration triggered a chorus of "Go, Mitt, Go."
With that, the speech was over.
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1:12 p.m. - "Turning around a crisis takes bold action," Mitt Romney declares.
He says he will cap government spending at 20 percent of the budget and "finally, finally" balance the budget.
Then, channeling a famous Democrat, President John F. Kennedy, he says his generation will pass a torch to the next generation — "not a bill."
He pledges his primary focus from Day One as president will be job-creation.
"You know, if you want to create jobs, it helps to have actually had a job — and I have," he said.
Of course, Romney has joked that he has been unemployed since leaving the governor's office in January 2007.
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1:09 p.m. - Unlike President Obama's European-style solutions, Romney is saying he will bring a CEO's acumen to the White House.
He recalls that he balanced the Massachusetts budget without taxes — but fails to mention he also jacked up fees for a variety of services.
And, despite criticism from conservatives and some of his presidential contenders, Romney says his Massachusetts health care plan was "a state solution to a state problem."
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1:04 p.m. - The speech is not much of a departure from what Mitt Romney has been saying for the past couple years.
Romney says he believes in a country of freedom and opportunity, propelled by entrepreneurship.
He complained that a newly inaugurated President Obama traveled the world, "apologizing" for America.
And he said the president is treating Israel "the same way so many European countries have, with suspicion."
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1:01 p.m. - The audience applauds as Mitt Romney delivers the signature line of his announcement speech: "Barack Obama has failed America."
Three years later, he said, jobs are hard to come by, grocery and gas prices are up.
"It breaks my heart to see what is happening to our country," he said.
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12:59 p.m. - Mitt Romney is lauding the country's history as a democracy, and a republic, not a monarchy.
"Who is it that rules this great nation?" he said. "You do."
The voters, in 17 months time, will choose who gives the State of the Union speech.
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12:56 p.m. - Ann Romney is testfying to her husband as a partner, father, and problem-solver.
"That's why I have all the confidence in the world that this man standing next to me will be the next nominee for the Republican Party — and will be the next president of the United States."
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12:54 p.m. - Ann and Mitt Romney are taking the stage. She will introduce him.
"Thank-you; very generous," Mitt Romney said to Doug Scamman.
As he has said elsewhere this second campaign, Mitt Romney told the crowd, "Old friends."
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12:53 p.m. - Doug Scamman, a former speaker of the New Hampshire House, is now introducing the Romneys.
The Scammans supported John McCain the last time around, and now they are with the proverbial party "next-in-line."
But Doug Scamman is citing Romney's business and civic background as the basis for his support.
"We need somebody in the White House who can work with everybody," Scamman said.
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12:50 p.m. - The program is beginning with Stella Scamman saying hello and a 12-year-old leading the Pledge of Allegiance.
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12:31 p.m. - Events are running behind schedule, as Mitt and Ann Romney greet their supporters — amid a scrum of TV cameras...
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12:22 p.m. - Former New Hampshire governor and Bush 41 White House Chief of Staff John Sununu is among those on hand.
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12:11 p.m. - It IS a different kind of campaign the second time around.
Mitt Romney emerged the Doug and Stella Scamman's farmhouse clad in an open collar and lacking a suitcoat, and then he and his wife, Ann, made their way not to the stage for his announcement speech, but to a table of crockpots to serve her recipe of chicken-and-bean chili.
"Who wants some chili?" the candidate said as he served up heaping scoops.
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12:04 p.m. - Ace campaign photographer Brooks Kraft reports the chili being served in conjunction with the announcement speech is fantastic.
Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom says volunteers had 36 crockpots in the campaign headquarters yesterday to cook chili according to Ann Romney's family recipe.
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11:55 a.m. - They've brought the crowd in front of the stage to provide a populist scene for the announcement speech.
Old Romney hands Eric Fehrnstrom, Peter Flaherty, and Russ Schriefer are working through the crowd of supporters and reporters.
Also here is at least one of Mitt Romney's sons, Josh, a father of five who deals in real estate in Utah.
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11:40 a.m. - For Republicans who like to criticize President Obama and his use of TelePrompTers, Romney will be speaking from one.
His campaign has also set-up a tripod just below his podium so it can get close-up shots for use in future videos and campaign commercials.
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11:18 a.m. - It has been hard to blog from the site, with the wind whipping and the excessive glare from the sun as it jumps in and out of the clouds.
Nonetheless, the report begins: A crowd is assembling at the Scammans' farm, including New Hampshire politicos such as Tom Rath and former Massachusetts supporters including House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones Jr. He brought his father-in-law.
Groups of Romney aides, dressed in blue T-shirts with the campaign slogan "Believe in America" are racing around, completing last-minute preparations.
Mitt Romney was doing a handful a pull-aside interviews beforehand, including with the Fox New Channel's Sean Hannity and ABC News correspondent John Berman, whose network broadcasts over WMUR-TV, the dominant television station in New Hampshire.
Romey is slated to begin speaking about noon.
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10:24 a.m. - The bucolic setting at Doug and Stella Scamman's Bittersweet Farm was leavened with blustery conditions in the aftermath of a tornado-laden weather system that blew through Romney's home state overnight.
Campaign workers had erected tents and sunscreens for a chili cookoff following the speech, but they dismantled them to avoid them going airborne.
In a nod to the setting, hay bales ringed the stage, media riser, and even the speaker stands.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
Live-blogging Romney's presidential announcement
Be sure to return to "Political Intelligence" before noon tomorrow for coverage as Mitt Romney's publicly declares his second campaign for the presidency.
My Globe colleague Matt Viser and I will be on hand at Doug and Stella Scamman's Bittersweet Farm in Stratham, N.H., for the speech and ensuing chili cookoff.
Ann Romney will be offering her signature campaign; does that stack the odds in her favor?
We plan to live-blog the pre-speech activities and announcement itself, wrap up Romney's remarks, and gather video to complement the coverage.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
Romney's N.H. activity drawing a response
Mitt Romney is publicly announcing his second presidential campaign tomorrow in Stratham, N.H., and he'll get down to work fast.
His campaign committee has announced that he will hold a town hall meeting in Manchester, N.H., on Friday.
It will take place at the University of New Hampshire Manchester Campus at 8:30 a.m.
Romney tries to follow Olympian's example with second campaign
Larry Downing/Reuters
After losing his first bid for the presidency, Mitt Romney is following an Olympian's example with another try.
For anyone who listened to Mitt Romney during his first campaign for president, it’s no surprise that Olympic speedskater Dan Jansen attended the biggest fund-raiser to date for Romney’s second campaign.
Jansen became an international sports celebrity with his example of picking himself up after defeat and pushing on to victory.
It’s an example the former Massachusetts governor hopes to emulate starting tomorrow, when he publicly kicks off his 2012 White House bid.
Gingrich talks health care - without mentioning Medicare
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich continues to back away from criticism he made earlier this month of Representative Paul Ryan's plan to overhaul Medicare, but at the same time he is stopping short of fully endorsing the plan.
Speaking at Derry Medical Center yesterday, Gingrich delivered an entire speech about health care without mentioning the overhaul, and then declined to take press questions about it.
Later in the day, at the Manchester home of former US Senate candidate Ovide Lamontagne, Gingrich said his words criticizing Ryan's plan were "clumsy."
Gingrich health care speech mum on Ryan plan
DERRY, N.H. — Representative Paul Ryan’s plan to overhaul Medicare is causing controversy in Congress — and likely contributed to yesterday’s defeat of a Republican House candidate in New York’s special election.
But speaking at Derry Medical Center in New Hampshire today, presidential candidate Newt Gingrich delivered an entire speech about health care without mentioning the overhaul, and then declined to take press questions about it.
Gingrich had previously criticized Ryan’s plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program, but the former House speaker backtracked after taking flak from his fellow Republicans.
Romney blasts Obama on lack of Medicare plan, but offers sparse details of his own
IRMO, S.C. – Mitt Romney this afternoon assailed President Obama for not articulating a clear position on how he would reform Medicare – but then the former Massachusetts governor declined to articulate such a position himself.
The health care program for the elderly has become an increasingly hot-button issue in national politics and is bound to dominate debate in the 2012 presidential race. House Republicans recently passed a plan – spearheaded by Representative Paul Ryan, of Wisconsin – that includes drastic cuts to Medicare.
“Where’s our president’s plan? What would he do?” Romney told reporters today after meeting with small business owners at a plumbing company here. “Is he just going to sit on the side and accuse Paul Ryan of being un-America? I simply can’t understand how the president and his people can attack Republicans who are putting forward constructive ideas, when he hasn’t got an idea of his own.”
Still, Romney would not elaborate on what he himself would do, saying he’s still an undeclared presidential candidate and would give detailed proposals later. “I will be happy to describe my specific plan, but clearly at this stage that’s still a little premature,” he said.
FULL ENTRYRomney targeted in first attack ad
WASHINGTON – Mitt Romney is the focus of the first attack ad of the 2012 presidential race, with an independent group run by former aides to President Obama tagging Romney as both a flip-flopper and a politician who would not protect Medicare.
“Mitt Romney says he's 'on the same page' as Paul Ryan, who wrote the plan to essentially end Medicare,” a narrator says, as dark, black and white images of the former Massachusetts governor flash across the screen. “But with Mitt Romney, you have to wonder...which page is he on today?"
The ad, which also tweaks Newt Gingrich, is going to be running in South Carolina just as Romney makes his first visit of the year to the state tomorrow.
The ad is being run by Priorities USA Action, a political action committee that is headed by President Obama’s former deputy press secretary, Bill Burton. The group can accept unlimited donations and is meant to counter Republican groups that were formed during the 2010 midterm elections. Those groups were criticized at the time by top Democrats, who have filed legislation to curb the influence of outside money in politics.
" President Obama and his team are desperate to change the subject to anything other than jobs and the millions of Americans out of work,” Andrea Saul, a spokeswoman for Romney’s presidential exploratory committee, said in a statement. “With 9.6% unemployment in South Carolina, voters are looking for a jobs plan not a smear campaign."
Romney tomorrow is planning to visit South Carolina and meet with business owners. It is his first trip to the Palmetto State this year.
Romney has in fact said that he and Ryan were “on the same page,” although he has not wholly embraced the Wisconsin Republican’s budget plan, which includes drastic cuts to Medicare. Romney said last week that he would at some point present his own plan on reforming the health care program for the elderly sand said it would “not be identical but shares objectives” with Ryan’s plan.
Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mviser.
Romney not ruling out self-financing
LAS VEGAS – Mitt Romney, while clearly buoyed by the $10.25 million his supporters raised today, is nonetheless not ready to rule out what could become another potent financial weapon in his all-but-certain presidential run: tapping into his own personal wealth.
“That’s counsel I’m going to keep with Ann and myself, and that’s all,” he said, referring to his wife. “So I can’t give you any more update than that. We’re just going to keep that to our own counsel.”
The decision could be significant, not only on Romney's pocketbook but also on the contours of the race. During the former Massachusetts governor’s 2008 presidential campaign, he used $42 million of his own funds. One of Romney’s potential rivals -- Jon Huntsman Jr., who comes from a wealthy family – has already ruled out self-financing his campaign.
“If we were to get in the race – no self-financing,” Huntsman told reporters recently in South Carolina. “Unless you can raise it legitimately, you’re not going to win.”
Romney responds to Journal criticism
"Mitt Romney, Belmont, Mass." penned a Letter to the Editor that appeared in today's Wall Street Journal, responding to a scathing editorial on the newpaper's conservative editorial page the day before.
In it, Romney sought to address some criticisms of the universal health care law he signed while governor of Massachusetts, a measure the Journal had argued raised questions about his fitness to be president.
The 2006 Massachusetts law became the template for the federal universal health care law signed last year by President Obama, which the Journal and others deride as "ObamaCare."
"While I have had my disagreements with the Journal's editorial board, where we find common ground is on the need to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with reforms that empower states to craft their own solutions," Romney wrote. "A one-size-fits-all plan that raises taxes and ignores the very real differences between states is the wrong course for our nation."
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
Romney: No apology for state health plan
J.D. Pooley/Getty Images
Expected Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney tries to address conservative concerns about his Massachusetts universal health care law with a speech and PowerPoint presentation today in his native Michigan.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Mitt Romney this afternoon tried to rebut conservative criticisms of his Massachusetts health care law as he called for abolishing President Obama’s national plan and replacing it with a new, more state-based reform of the US health care system.
In his first — and perhaps most significant — policy speech of his budding presidential campaign, he gave the strongest defense to date of his signature Massachusetts health care plan.
“A lot of pundits around the nation are saying that I should just stand up and say this whole thing was a mistake, that it was a boneheaded idea and I should just admit it, it was a mistake, and walk away from it,” Romney said. “And I presume that a lot of folks would conclude that if I did that, that would be good for me politically. But there’s only one problem with that: it wouldn’t be honest. I, in fact, did what I believed was right for the people of my state.”
FLASHBACK: Romney, WSJ talk health care, circa 2006
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The topic: health care. The concern: It could undermine Mitt Romney's run for president. A key critic: The Wall Street Journal. The response: A speech and a PowerPoint presentation.
That was the tack the former Massachusetts governor took today as he tried to address a key vulnerability in his expected presidential campaign. But it's also the exact tack Romney took in 2006, while he still was governor, as he geared up for his first White House campaign.
In each instance, he tried to mollify conservative critics who argued universal health care cut against their free-market and libertarian beliefs.
The following article was published in The Boston Globe on April 26, 2006:
Live stream of Romney health care speech
Check "Political Intelligence" at 2 p.m. for a live stream of the health care speech being delivered today by expected Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
Wall Street Journal blisters Romney over health care
Mitt Romney's favored communication medium in the run-up to his second presidential campaign has been the op-ed column, with sometimes unexpected results, since expounding in such a sober medium allows him to avoid distracting questions from other elements of the media.
Today, though, he is the focus of a blistering editorial in The Wall Street Journal, which carries the unflattering headline, "Obama's Running Mate."
The editorial, which included a trademark Journal stipple portrait of the former Massachusetts governor, runs across two columns and consumes two-thirds of the space usually allotted to editorials written from a conservative perspective.
Romney support for individual mandate complicates health care politics
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
Democrat Edward M. Kennedy debates with Republican Mitt Romney during their 1994 US Senate race. During that campaign, Romney said he would back a federal health care plan that included a mandate requiring individuals to buy insurance coverage. Such past support is now complicating his planned second presidential campaign.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As Mitt Romney prepares for a major address on health care here this afternoon, the likely presidential contender is still expected to continue defending what has become a third rail in Republican politics: a requirement from government that people purchase health insurance.
The so-called individual mandate was a core component of the signature health care plan Romney signed into law while governor of Massachusetts, and he has stuck by that decision — even as he has decried it as part of the federal plan signed into law last year by President Obama.
During a question-and-answer period last month in Las Vegas, for instance, Romney used an example of someone without insurance getting in a car wreck and going to the hospital.
“We don’t let them die in the streets,” Romney said. “They go to the hospital and are treated. And guess who pays for that? You. Government. You all are paying for that.”
Romney to give major health care speech
WASHINGTON – Mitt Romney is planning a major address on Thursday to discuss health care, in what could become a defining moment of his emerging presidential bid as he gives a prominent answer to one of his biggest perceived shortcomings.
Romney is planning to outline his plan to repeal President Obama’s health care plan and replace it with something else. The address will be given in Ann Arbor, Mich., at the University of Michigan’s Cardiovascular Center.
It will be Romney’s first major policy speech, and comes amid increasing activity in his campaign. Over the next few weeks, he is also planning to travel to Las Vegas to raise money, as well as to two early primary states, Iowa and South Carolina.
Health care has been the primary problem for Romney’s early campaign, and even his supporters have said they wanted him to address it in a prominent way. His speech on Thursday will be aimed at both winning over his critics and bolstering his supporters.
The health care plan that Romney signed as governor of Massachusetts has provided a template for the national plan signed by President Obama last year. With Republicans focused on attacking Obama’s plan, many have raised questions over whether Romney would be the right advocate for their party.
Romney has defended the Bay State plan, while saying he would repeal Obama’s national overhaul, saying it unfairly mandates a one-size-fits-all system on each state.
His campaign today provided a brief outline of his health care approach, including:
• Restore to the states the responsibility and resources to care for their poor, uninsured, and chronically ill.
• Give a tax deduction to those who buy their own health insurance, just like those who buy it through their employers.
• Streamline the federal regulation of healthcare.
• Reduce the influence of lawsuits on medical practice and costs.
• Make healthcare more like a consumer market and less like a government program.
Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mviser.
Mass GOP files complaint over LWV Brown ad
Massachusetts Republican Party leaders today filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against the League of Women Voters, alleging the nonprofit organization failed to properly file paperwork after it launched a television ad campaign criticizing Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown.
"We are calling on the League to immediately reveal their secret donors as the law requires, and to live by the same standards of openness and transparency they have encouraged others to adopt," Massachusetts Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour said in a written statement.
The ads criticized Brown as well as Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, a Democrat, for votes related to the Clean Air Act. Responding to the complaint, Elisabeth MacNamara, the organization's president, defended the ad, saying the ad targeted one particular issue, not the upcoming elections.
"Our ad will stand up to scrutiny because it is about Senator Scott Brown's vote to weaken the Clean Air Act and endanger public health," McNamara said in a statement issued Sunday. "It is not about an election that is 18 months away or a politician who may or may not be on the ballot in that election. The allegation to the FEC is simply a charade, designed to deflect attention away from Senator Brown's vote to block the Clean Air Act."
Former Kennedy chief to lead UAW's DC office
Mary Beth Cahill, once Senator Edward M. Kennedy's chief of staff, has been named director of the United Auto Workers' Washington office, as well as director of its UAW Community Action Program.
In both jobs, she will oversee the UAW’s political program nationally. She will also serve as a senior adviser to UAW President Bob King.
Cahill formerly served as assistant to the president and director of the Office of Public Liaison in the Clinton White House, as well as Kennedy's chief of staff and director of Senator John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.
She also spent five years at EMILY’s List, a PAC that supports female candidates and supports abortion rights.
“We are thrilled to have Mary Beth join the UAW leadership team especially in light of the difficult challenges ahead for our union,” King said in a statement. "As we navigate the tough political environment in this era of attacks on American working families and the middle class, and head into national contract talks for the domestic automakers, I’m confident that she will help us elect officeholders who are allies in the battle to save the American middle class."
Cahill is a Massachusetts native and the daughter of a UAW autoworker. She graduated from Emmanuel College with a degree in English and political science, and held a fellowship at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in 2005.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
Governor believes state will 'find way' on gambling
Governor Deval Patrick said this morning he believes he and leading lawmakers will “find our way to something” on an expanded gambling bill, but “we’re not there yet.”
Patrick said he, House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, and Senate President Therese Murray continue to negotiate on the issue that ended in finger-pointing last year when the sides failed to reach agreement on bringing casinos to the state, which they all said they supported.
DeLeo, nonetheless, held out for slot machines at the state's four racetracks.
Obama: Public distracted from broader, thematic debate
President Obama didn't exactly blame the American people for missing the point last night as his poll numbers have plunged, but he did state they have been so focused on their daily lives they haven't focused deeply enough on the broader, more thematic underpinnings of the great recent congressional debates.
Addressing a star-studded fundraiser audience at the Tavern restaurant in Los Angeles that included actors Tom Hanks and George Clooney, Obama said he expected the majority of voters to end up siding with him when they focus their attention on the candidates, the policies they propose, and their personal values during next year's campaign.
Massachusetts listeners can't but hear the echoes of the "values" focus that Governor Deval Patrick offered during his successful reelection campaign last fall, and which he has continued amid his recent book tour.
Patrick says he is not interested in running for US Senate seat
Governor Deval Patrick, pressed about his aspirations for higher
office during an appearance on national television today, said he would
not run against US Senator Scott Brown, even if President Obama urged
him to do so.
"That conversation is not going to happen, and I've been very clear I
do not want to serve in the United States Senate," Patrick said during
a five-minute interview with Matt Lauer on the "Today" show.
Patrick was appearing on the show to promote his memoir, and Lauer,
who introduced the governor as a "rising star," asked several times
whether the book was a precursor to a run for national office. Patrick
insisted it was not.
Patrick: Obama deficit speech framed values debate
President Obama's deficit-reduction speech wasn't just about numbers but what kind of country America will become, Governor Deval Patrick said this morning during an appearance on ABC's "This Week" news program.
While Republicans have criticized the partisan nature of last week's address, in which Obama proposed cutting $4 trillion over 12 years, Patrick said the critics glossed over its overarching theme.
“It’s a fiscally responsible but also mutually responsible kind of community, and I support that," the governor told host Christiane Amanpour.
Gun shop visit underscores Barbour's pitch
Glen Johnson/Globe Staff
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, guided by New Hampshire Republican operative Michael Dennehy, walks through Riley's Gun Shop in Hooksett on the second day of his visit to the lead primary state as a prospective presidential candidate.
HOOKSETT, N.H. – With a 22-person media contingent outside, and only a handful of prospective voters inside, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour wasn't trying to conceal the message he was sending to New Hampshire voters as he wound down his first visit of the year as a prospective presidential contender.
I'm one of you, he said with deeds as much as words nonetheless spoken with a Southern drawl.
Mississippi governor roots for Red Sox
Glen Johnson/Globe Staff
Prospective Republican presidential contender Haley Barbour talked guns, the Boston Red Sox, and political issues during a visit this morning to the Chez Vachon restaurant in Manchester, N.H.
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Who knew?
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour claimed a New England connection this morning as he confessed to being a Boston Red Sox fan on the strength of his longtime friendship with a former team catcher.
Stopping by a frequent political haunt, the Chez Vachon on the west side of Manchester, Barbour told a table that included Mayor Ted Gatsas that he played on a two-time state high school championship team with future Red Sox player Jerry Moses.
Barbour: Southern charm vs. N.H. questions
Glen Johnson/Globe Staff
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour works with room last night as he stopped by the Bow home of Jayne and Shawn Millerick during his first visit to New Hampshire this year as a prospective presidential candidate.
BOW, N.H. – Southern charm collided with Yankee skepticism last night as Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour made his first visit of the year to New Hampshire as a prospective presidential candidate.
With his trademark drawl and affable demeanor, Barbour worked a crowd of about 30 people at the home of former New Hampshire Republican Party chairwoman Jayne Millerick, introducing himself by saying simply, "Hi, I'm Haley."
(See my earlier post here.)
Then he was peppered with questions about everything from his views on spending cuts and entitlement reform to US intervention in Libya, as voters in the lead presidential primary state upheld their tradition as vetters-in-chief of would-be commanders-in-chief.
Barbour tells N.H. he would be 'plainspoken' candidate
Glen Johnson/Globe Staff
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour addressed a house party tonight as he made his first visit to New Hampshire of the year as a prospective presidential candidate.
BOW, N.H. – Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour tonight told an audience in the lead presidential primary state of New Hampshire he would offer "casual, comfortable, plainspoken commonsense" if he decided to seek the Republican nomination.
He argued that the American people "are tired of happy talk," and need straight information about cutting government spending while also resisting the temptation to raise taxes.
He pledged a decision about his candidacy by the end of the month, as he kicked off a two-day trip that was his first to the state this year.
Patrick banters with Stewart on 'Daily Show'
Governor Deval Patrick endured some friendly ribbing about the state’s health care law and his political future from Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show” last night. But Patrick mostly stuck to script and let Stewart make the jokes.
Poking fun at the governor’s declaration that he is guided by conviction and idealism, Stewart said, “This politics of conviction, this idealism, have you ever thought of giving those up to run for national office?”
“I’m not running for anything else,” Patrick said, laughing. “But I haven’t given up those ideals and those values for any job.”
“I look forward to the system corrupting you,” Stewart quipped.
“Not gonna happen,” Patrick shot back in his 8-minute spot on the show, which he flew to New York to tape.
Patrick’s appearance was part of a flurry of national media appearances he is making over the next two weeks to sell his memoir, “A Reason To Believe.”
Romney on Obama: 'The citizenship test has been passed'
Mitt Romney tonight pushed back against those in his party who are questioning President Obama's citizenship, suggesting his fellow Republicans should put their energy into more substantive issues.
"The citizenship test has been passed," Romney said tonight on CNBC's Kudlow Report. "I believe the president was born in the United States. There are real reasons to get this guy out of office...but his citizenship isn't the reason why."
Several prominent Republicans — including Donald Trump and Sarah Palin — have once again tried to stoke controversy by questioning Obama's citizenship even though his birth in Hawaii has been confirmed by officials in the state.
Mass. Dems. offer something more than cake
Amid all the fluff and confection of presenting Mitt Romney with cakes celebrating today's fifth anniversary of the Massachusetts universal health care law, state Democrats also produced a video with some meat on its bones.
"Thank You Mitt" contains clips of Romney, then the Bay State's governor, touting the law during appearances on the Fox News Channel and, gasp, MSNBC back in 2006.
The most potentially problematic comment is Romney claiming he "authored" the measure, since many of his fellow conservatives view the law as a precursor to the federal universal health care law enacted last year by President Obama.
Romney serves up campaign message cold
Julie Jacobson/AP
Expected Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney appears with Kathy, Dave, and Allie Tyler after touring their Las Vegas neighborhood on April 1. The value of the Tylers' home has decreased by more than $200,000 since 2008.
Former Massachusetts Governor William F. Weld, the Republican who launched a 16-year period of GOP rule on Beacon Hill, favored an expression apparently shared by Mitt Romney, the former governor who concluded their party's era of State House control.
"Revenge is a dish best served cold," Weld would say, quoting a phrase used in everything from the French novel "Mathilde" to "The Godfather" and "Star Trek II."
In announcing his presidential exploratory committee in a deliberately understated way, Romney declared his intentions — on his terms and in his own tone — with a variety of messages for an array of audiences.
Fifth anniversary health care fodder for Romney
David L. Ryan, Globe Staff
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney shares a laugh with House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and other Democrats as the Republican signs the state's universal health care law at Faneuil Hall on April 12, 2006.
Northeast Democrats will be at their most creative today and tomorrow, as they aim to tweak Republican Mitt Romney in conjunction with the fifth anniversary of the Massachusetts universal health care law.
New Hampshire Democrats are sending out an email at 9 a.m. today, urging their supporters to flood Romney's official Twitter handle, @MittRomney, with thanks and congratulations for a piece of legislation that is anathema to many of his fellow conservatives across the country.
The 2006 Massachusetts law, signed while Romney was governor of the state, became the model for the 2010 federal universal health care law signed by President Obama, the Democrat he hopes to face in next year's presidential race.
Murray agrees with Patrick on health finance changes
Senate President Therese Murray vowed today to take swift action on Governor Deval Patrick's proposal to overhaul the state's health care finance system, breaking with House Speaker Robert DeLeo, who wants to delay action until later this year or next year.
During a speech before the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Murray said "I agree with the governor that something has to be done soon," and added that "we are getting close ... we are going to do this."
Murray did not offer a specific timeline, but said the Senate would act "in the near future," unlike the House, which she said is proceeding more slowly because a key committee leader is new in the job and lacks experience in such complex policy.
She was referring to Representative Steven Walsh, the new co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing.
Romney comes for foreign policy, leaves defending Mass. health care
LAS VEGAS – It was billed as a foreign policy address, but it didn’t take long before the most prominent issue that could haunt Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign came up.
The first question from the audience after his 24-minute address before the Republican Jewish Coalition here was not about Israel or unrest in the Middle East. It was about Romney’s health care plan in Massachusetts.
Romney largely defended the rationale of the Massachusetts plan, saying that it helped spur greater health care coverage so uninsured residents wouldn’t simply go to emergency rooms for care.
But he sought to distinguish the plan from President Obama’s national plan by casting it as an issue of states’ rights.
FULL ENTRYBrown, Klobuchar form medical tech caucus
Senator Scott Brown is joining forces with a liberal colleague from Minnesota to form a new U.S. Senate caucus focused on medical technology and device makers, a powerful industry in Massachusetts.
Brown, a Republican, and Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, will co-chair the bipartisan Senate Medical Technology Caucus to focus legislative attention on the medical technology sector, which in Massachusetts includes over 200 medical devices companies and many more biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
“It is critical that we provide a business environment for them to innovate, grow and thrive," Brown said.
Like Massachusetts, Minnesota also has a large medical technology industry -- some 400 medical device companies that support over 50,000 jobs in the state.
Baker, as promised, joins credit union
Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Baker has made good on his pledge to take a credit union job in addition to his high-flying venture capital position.
Braintree-based Tremont Credit Union announced today that Baker has joined its board of directors.
He formerly spent a decade as president of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, after serving as human services director and budget chief in the Weld and Cellucci administrations.
“Charlie’s consummate blend of business skills, government experience, financial expertise, and regulatory knowledge will provide extraordinary organizational benefits," George Hardiman, chairman of Tremont’s board of directors, said in a statement.
Baker said: "I admire and appreciate the critical role the credit union industry plays in providing accessible and low cost financial services to the people of Massachusetts."
The statement noted Baker is joining Tremont as it strengthens its financial controls after state bank regulators issued critical findings of the bank’s operations last April.
Since then Tremont has changed its board, brought on new executives, and reorganized its loan, sales, and customer service staff.
Board members, including Baker, receive no compensation for their service.
Governor Deval Patrick branded Baker as an out-of-touch business leader during their recent campaign. The Democrat complained his salary had risen at Harvard Pilgrim as consumer premiums increased. Baker pointed to repeated top customer satisfaction ratings the insurer received, as well as his ability to pull it out of state receivership.
While announcing earlier this month he was joining a venture capital firm, Cambridge-based General Catalyst Partners, Baker said he would focus on growing small- to mid-sized companies — especially in the health care arena.
At that time, he also said he was considering a credit union board role.
The Tremont Credit Union is open to workers who live or work in Suffolk, Norfolk, and Middlesex Counties, are Massachusetts residents of Latvian heritage, or are affiliated with several community or employer groups including the Boston Public Schools, Boston Children’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Amtrak, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and the Iron Workers Union Local 7.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
UMass-UK sign stem cell agreement
Kim Haberlin/Office of the Governor
Joseph C. Laning (left), senior director of the UMass Human Stem Cell Bank and Registry, and Dr. Stephen Inglis, director of the UK Health Protection Agency’s National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, sign agreement to share best practices for stem cell banking.
Representatives of the University of Massachusetts Human Stem Cell Bank and Registry and the United Kingdom Stem Cell Bank signed an agreement today to share best practices for stem cell banking.
The two parties, acting during part of Governor Deval Patrick's trade mission to Israel and the United Kingdom, also agreed to collaborate on standards for stem cell line characterization, production, and distribution in the US and UK.
The agreement was signed after Patrick met with Glyn Stacey, director of the UK Stem Cell Bank, at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in Hertfordshire, England.
It also follows a similar memorandum of understanding signed last week between Massachusetts and Israel for further collaboration in research and development programs between Bay State and Israeli companies.
The UMass Human Stem Cell Bank and Registry and the UK Stem Cell Bank support international research in regenerative and stem cell medicine.
They provide the biomedical research community with expertly derived and maintained human embryonic stem cell lines for fundamental biological investigation and therapeutic applications.
The banks provide high-quality, reliable stem cell lines to researchers working on discovering new therapeutic treatments for diseases such as cancer, juvenile diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s, among others.
Under the agreement, the two banks will identify shared priorities and create models that foster collaboration and cooperation.
Later in the day, the governor visited Granta Science Park in Cambridge to discuss plans to cultivate new investment and partnerships between the Massachusetts and UK life sciences sectors.
As he did last week in Israel, Patrick also hosted a roundtable discussion with researchers and industry leaders at Granta Science Park, where many UK-based life sciences companies are located.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
DeLeo proposes Probation, court administration changes
House Speaker Robert DeLeo today proposed a series of steps aimed at reducing the influence lawmakers such as him have over the hiring process at the state Probation Department, whose past practices are now the subject of state and federal criminal investigations.
Only those who exceed a required score would advance, the Winthrop Democrat said, and "recommendation" letters from potential sponsors in the Legislature could only be opened in the final stages of evaluation. Afterward, letters written on behalf of all applicants who get hired would become public records, available for public and media inspection.
DeLeo had previously discussed a hiring process akin to the Civil Service procedure used for other state employees. It, too, requires a test that creates a pool of applicants.
"A job recommendation is a serious matter," DeLeo said of the lawmaker-letters that have sparked criticism but which lawmakers such as him defend as one of their fundamental responsibilities as a public representative. "We all know that a job recommendation from a public official carries weight, and I will be the first to say that all recommendations for successful candidates should be transparent."
A Globe Spotlight report found that the Probation Department had employed at least 250 friends, relatives, and financial backers of politicians and top court officials.
DeLeo himself wrote a letter of recommendation for his godson, who was hired in 2004 and became the youngest probation officer in the state.
In the advance text of his remarks, DeLeo also called for transferring business administration responsibilities for the state's court system from the chief administrative judge to a civilian court administrator with "substantial expertise" in finance and management.
The current chief administrative judge, Robert A. Mulligan, has been alternately lauded and criticized for his oversight of hiring within the Probation Department. It is currently overseen by the Judicial Branch and, in his remarks, DeLeo supported keeping it there rather than transferring oversight to the Executive Branch, as sought by Governor Deval Patrick.
Nonetheless, DeLeo said the courts would benefit from transferring overall oversight for facilities management, personnel management, accounting, capital planning, and information technology from the chief justice for administration and management to a manager who is not a lawyer.
"In separating the judicial and business functions of the court, the chief justices of each of the court departments will properly maintain responsibility for all other core judicial functions, such as monitoring caseload, assigning judges, judicial training, and judicial discipline," said DeLeo.
The speaker said keeping Probation under the judiciary made sense since probation officers are trusted advisers to judges.
The proposal was cheered by the Massachusetts Bar Association.
"The model developed by DeLeo will professionalize court management and operations. Management issues have haunted the courts for too long resulting in a poorly run, inefficient system," the lawyer advocacy agency said.
"The employ of a professionally trained, non-judicial court administrator along with other skilled civilian administrators throughout the Trial Court will bring Massachusetts in line with the country’s leading edge, innovative state court systems," the association added. "Massachusetts’ citizens will be assured that its state’s judges will be performing the judicial tasks that they were selected to perform rather than be bogged down with management functions."
The bar association also endorsed keeping Probation within the Judicial Branch.
Elsewhere in his remarks, DeLeo repeated his vow not to support any new taxes or fees in the House budget about to be unveiled.
He said he would continue to work with Patrick and Senate President Therese Murray on legislation to expand legalized gambling in Massachusetts. A bill last year to create up to three casinos died after DeLeo insisted — and Patrick refused — to add slot machines at the state's four racetracks.
While Patrick has not changed his position, DeLeo cast the matter as one of financial necessity, saying it is "the quickest way" to offset projected local aid cuts.
He added: "As our economy recovers, we still find ourselves in the midst of a 'blue-collar depression." I routinely hear about unemployment rates of 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent at building trade union halls across the state. Given this environment, we have to find a way to create thousands of construction jobs and permanent jobs."
He also pledged that by the time his chamber approves the budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, the House will have approved a bill requiring cities and towns to provide health insurance plans that at least mirror the state's Group Insurance Commission.
"If cities and towns can’t meet or beat the GIC, they will be forced to join it," DeLeo said in his text. "I’ve seen my hometown of Winthrop save $800,000 annually by joining the GIC. If all cities and towns did so, this would collectively save $100 million."
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
Pawlenty will criticize healthcare law, but not the Mass. model or Romney
LEBANON, N.H. – Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty strongly opposes requiring citizens to buy health insurance, which is a core aspect of both the Democrats’ federal coverage law and the Massachusetts healthcare program signed by former Governor Mitt Romney.
But ask Pawlenty whether he specifically opposes the so-called "individual mandate’’ in Massachusetts, or if he thinks it was a mistake for Romney to adopt it, and he balks. He said he would rather not answer than generate more controversy within the possible GOP presidential primary field.
In that respect, he is different than Mike Huckabee and Haley Barbour, potential Republican candidates who have openly and specifically criticized "RomneyCare.’’
"Every time you see me you ask me some variation of these questions, trying to get me to contrast with Massachusetts, and I’ll just tell you what I did and what I believe and leave the analyzing to somebody else,’’ he told reporters today after discussing health reform with a group of doctors at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
"What happens is, if I comment about it, then you go back and write that Pawlenty bashes Massachuseetts, and there is tension between Pawlenty and Mitt, and I’m just not going to do that.’’
Pawlenty does have some specific ideas about overhauling the health care system.
He wants to change Medicaid into a block grant program for states, so they can spend the money however then want, as long as it is on healthcare delivery. He believes having federal standards for health plans is an excessive intrusion on the ability of states to innovate. In Medicare, he wants to offer more options like health savings accounts and Medicare HMOs.
Overall, Pawlenty maintains that he is a big believer in the power of quality and price transparency to create a market where consumers make choices and drive down costs through the power of free enterprise. He added that technology and greater efforts to combat waste and fraud will also drive down costs. The individual mandate – even though insurance companies say it is needed to expand the insurance pool to more healthy people and thereby hold down premiums – is an unprecedented "overreach’’ by government.
Some doctors at the noon forum today challenged Pawlenty, saying he was not offering sufficiently detailed alternatives to Medicare or ObamaCare, and that healthcare is too important a service to allow consumers to be subjected to the whims of the markets.
But Pawlenty said he has a different philosophy, built on giving information to patients and families and letting free markets do the rest.
"If they need financial help, then give it to them,’’ he said, "but let them make the choice and empower them rather than have a big government bureaucracy do it.’’
Mass. details health law amid political debate
The state of Massachusetts is making sure former Governor Mitt Romney can't run away from the universal health care program he signed into law, and his opponents can't misrepresent it.
The Health Connector and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which are charged with implementing the 2006 legislation, sent out an e-mail Friday containing a Top 10 list of facts about the measure.
One specifically describes the law Romney enacted as the model for the federal universal health care program signed into law by President Obama last year.
It has become the subject of national debate, as Republicans have derided what they term "Obamacare," while Democrats have noted it was modeled on "Romneycare."
The connection is particularly sensitive for Romney, a prospective 2012 GOP presidential candidate, since conservatives whose support he will need in his party's primaries have generally opposed both laws.
Romney has tried to rebuff the criticism by arguing that states should be free to enact their own plans, not be subjected to a single measure imposed by the federal government.
Governor Deval Patrick, a Democrat who is planning to be a surrogate campaigner during Obama's re-election campaign next year, has publicly highlighted the similarities in the measures. Now his administration is echoing the message.
"As much is being written about our landmark 2006 Massachusetts health reform legislation and implementation, we want to make sure you have all the pertinent facts at your disposal," Connector spokesman Dick Powers said in the e-mail.
The No. 6 point says flatly: "Massachusetts health reform provided the model for national reform. Like Massachusetts, the new national law calls for the formation of (health insurance) Exchanges. The Health Connector’s tiering system, which offers consumers a choice of gold, silver or bronze coverage, was also adopted in a slightly expanded way. Like Massachusetts,the national law sets minimum coverage standards and will include benefits like elimination of pre-existing condition exclusions. A number of the benefits in the Massachusetts law are enhanced under national reform, most notably extension of subsidy assistance for individuals from 300 percent to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, extension of federally-subsidized coverage to legal immigrants and extension of insurance protections to self-funded private coverage."
Item No. 7 also touches another hot-button topic: the requirement in the law Romney signed that provides tax penalties for residents who are capable of buying insurance but fail to do so.
"The individual mandate has worked fairly and effectively to expand coverage in Massachusetts," says the fact sheet. "Some 97 percent of the taxpayers are complying with new health reform filing requirements. Furthermore, the Health Connector’s appeals process, which rules on hardship exceptions, has been fair to taxpayers, with a 60-percent approval rate for those who follow through with an appeal."
Powers said the poster was produced in-house, at no additional cost to the taxpayers. The two photos used, he said, came from annual progress reports about the state law.
"It wasn't meant to tweak anyone," said Powers. "One of the frustrating things about
sitting here is watching people on both the left and the right twist information to suit their ideological agenda. With bloggers taking a more active role, it's amazing how quickly bad information can and does spread. This is just our attempt to get the facts out there so the media and eventually their readers and listeners will have the correct facts. With federal reform under the microscope and a presidential election on the horizon, it's logical to assume that more eyes will be cast on what we're doing here."
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
Patrick has busy first day in Israel
Governor Deval Patrick today concluded a busy kickoff to his trade mission to Israel and the United Kingdom by announcing fresh support for a state-based global competition for new start-up companies.
The Democrat pledged to invest $1 million during the next four years in MassChallenge, a program seeking to identify promising entrepreneurs around the world.
He made the announcement during a teleconference between Cisco offices in Boston and Netanya, Israel.
"We have the brainpower. We have the venture capital. We have a concentration of talent, a well-educated workforce and we have a tradition of invention that goes back centuries," Patrick said.
Organizers say MassChallenge has received more than 440 entries and identified 111 start-ups that received three months of free training, mentoring, and office space on the city's Fan Pier.
Earlier in the day, Patrick met with Major General Eliezer Shkedi, chief executive of El Al Airlines, with whom he sought nonstop flights between Boston and Tel Aviv. He argued the state has the fourth-largest Jewish community in the country, allowing it to compete with Chicago and Miami, which also are seeking flights.
The governor also met with Avi Hasson, Israel's chief scientist. The trip is focused on biotechnology and other state-based science companies.
A planned meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres was postponed until Thursday, a gubernatorial spokeswoman said.
The 10-day trade mission, which will also visit England, is being paid for primarily with private and campaign funds.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this post.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
Unions hold health insurance rally
Unions representing public employees are planning to release a proposal today to address concerns about rising health insurance costs.
In today's Globe, colleague James Vaznis has set the scene for their 11 a.m. State House rally.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
Romney addresses health care, not authenticity
During a weekend speech to New Hampshire Republicans, Mitt Romney delivered what will likely be his most durable rejoinder to critics of the universal health care program he signed into law while governor of Massachusetts.
Still remaining, though, is a lingering, fundamental question about his authenticity that has only been perpetuated by recent appearances.
You could argue that how well he answers that core concern, not just addresses a single issue, will determine whether he wins the GOP's presidential nomination next year and has a shot at being elected president in 2012.
In a speech to Carroll County Republicans, Romney did not run or shy away from the health insurance law he signed with great fanfare in April 2006.
"Our experiment wasn't perfect. Some things worked; some things didn't. Some things, I'd change,'' Romney said, as AP National Political Writer Liz Sidoti put it, he addressed an "obvious political vulnerability" against critics who complain the state plan paved the way for "Obamacare."
Mea culpa complete, Romney then outlined his rejoinder.
"But one thing I would never do is usurp the constitutional power of states with a one-size-fits-all federal takeover," he said.
Romney argues Massachusetts had a unique health insurance situation, with a unique financial backdrop, and a unique path for addressing it. Adhering to the federalist principle underpinning the Constitution, the Harvard Law School graduate argues, such power should be reserved for the states.
Imposing a federal solution through a nationwide plan, the logic goes, undercuts states' rights.
The argument allows Romney not to run from the Massachusetts plan even as he distances himself from the federal one modeled after it.
"I would repeal Obamacare," he told his audience in the lead-presidential primary state. "My experience has taught me that the states are the place where health care programs for the uninsured should be crafted, just as the Constitution provides. Obamacare is bad law constitutionally, it’s bad policy, it’s bad for American families. And that’s one reason why President Obama will be a one-term president.”
Of course, that argument does not address conservative concerns about the government mandate to obtain health insurance — and accompanying penalties for failing to do so — that drive the Massachusetts plan (and were replicated in the federal law). Nor does it address cost growth and tangential challenges such as increased waits for primary care doctors that have occurred in Massachusetts.
Nonetheless, there is logic to the rebuttal, unlike some of the more emotional responses he has offered.
During his 2008 presidential campaign, Romney largely tried to ignore what may have been his more far-reaching accomplishment as governor.
In 2009 and 2010, he cast about for different responses as he positioned himself for a second run. He earned condemnation on the right when he said the Massachusetts program was the "ultimate conservative plan" because it required individual responsibility. He was criticized by the left when he blamed state Democrats for altering the plan by overriding eight vetoes he made the day he signed the bill into law.
A year ago, he also sounded resigned as the attacks piled up.
"You do what you think is right, and if people decide that that's not something they're happy with, so be it," he said after an audience member upbraided him over the subject during an appearance in Chicago.
This year, as he stands on the cusp of a second White House bid, Romney has been forced anew to respond. Not only are potential Republican presidential rivals such as Haley Barbour and Tim Pawlenty criticizing him, but so is a rising star like Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, as well as Obama himself, whom the Democrats will offer as their 2012 candidate.
The response came in the form of a meaty paragraph inserted into an otherwise broad attack on the president's handling of domestic policy and foreign affairs.
"The federal government isn’t the answer for running health care any more than it’s the answer for running Amtrak or the Post Office," Romney said as he concluded that section of his speech. "An economy run by the federal government doesn’t work for Europe, and it certainly would never, ever work here."
At the outset of his remarks, though, Romney offered fresh reason to doubt his authenticity as a political candidate.
After organizing a speech in the first presidential primary state, after flying up from a conservative economic cattle call in Florida, after driving up to a New Hampshire hotel on a driveway lined with "Romney for President" signs, Romney acted as if he were still undecided about another race.
Of course, some of that is political posturing, but then he triggered snickers by telling the crowd it wasn't so much him that was the driving force behind a second campaign as it was his wife, Ann.
Ann Romney is a strong and vivacious woman who has not only raised five sons but endured near-total separation from them as they spent two years apiece as Mormon missionaries. She still copes with debilitating multiple sclerosis, and had to fend off a case of breast cancer.
Yet it stretches belief to think that Ann Romney is the reason why:
*Mitt Romney was a loyal soldier to John McCain almost immediately after losing the 2008 GOP primary campaign, raising him money, campaigning ceaselessly, and offering himself as a vice presidential running mate.
*Mitt Romney formed and made himself "honorary chairman" of the Free and Strong America PAC in 2009 and used the so-called leadership PAC to sprinkle campaign cash on candidates across the country.
*Mitt Romney sat in their oceanfront home in La Jolla, Calif., writing a book, "No Apology," and then in a dim studio to personally read aloud each page for an audiobooks version.
*Mitt Romney has retained the core team of political advisers from his 2008 White House race and meets regularly with them at an office park in Lexington.
*Mitt Romney has undertaken a aggressive travel schedule both last year and this, including stops last week alone in Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and New Hampshire. This coming week, he's off to Texas and another visit to Florida.
The comment recalls the moment in 2006 when Romney signed the heath care law in Boston's Faneuil Hall.
Ceremony attendees climbed the building's steps to its historic second-floor meeting hall, where they were handed programs printed on mock parchment inscribed with mock quilled ink. Before them stood the permanent stage, which was festooned with banners and expanded with a platform. It was covered in an oriental rug and bearing a desk on which the bill would be signed into law.
The entire scene was professionally lit and the event was broadcast by professional sound technicians.
All of it also was controlled by Romney's staff, which to this day pays special attention to the theatrics of his appearances — including kicking reporters out of the ballroom before Saturday night's speech so they could adjust the TelePrompTer and attend to other aesthetics in private.
The governor arrived that April day with great fanfare, climbed the steps himself, and when he entered the hall, appeared thunderstruck at the scene before him.
Wow, he said to reporters standing next to him. Who arranged all this, he asked.
The response: You did, through the team that surrounds you constantly and briefs you on every appearance.
But it wasn't just Saturday night's comment casting himself as a subservient being propelled to action.
Earlier in the week, as potential rival Newt Gingrich traveled to Georgia to reveal he was laying the groundwork for his own presidential exploratory committee, Romney himself decided to make a little news during his own visit to the state.
Following a path trodden by other politicians such as Gingrich and former President Carter, Romney decided to visit Tommy Thomas's barbershop in Atlanta.
“Just got a Trim at Tommy’s in Atlanta,” Romney wrote on his Twitter account, which also posted a photo of the visit.
It showed Romney with his trademark mane of perfectly coiffed, perfectly gelled hair — and barely a speck of hair on the cloth around his neck or the smock across his chest.
When Globe colleague Matt Viser called Thomas to find out more about the visit, the barber told him he hardly touched Romney's hair.
“I gave him a super-light trim,” Thomas said. “He wanted to know what our concerns were, what everyone thought of what’s going on in Washington.”
The Tommy's trip came a couple weeks after Romney popped up in Florida at the Daytona 500.
Romney is a true auto buff, a Mustang owner who is the son of a former American Motors president and was raised in Michigan, home of the American auto industry.
That a potential presidential candidate would show up at the biggest NASCAR event of the year, or glad-hand among potential supporters, is hardly out of the norm.
Yet when photos surfaced of Romney working the crowd, he was wearing a "Bass Pro Shops" shirt as if he were a regular angler or race sponsor.
It recalled the moment during the 2008 campaign when he proclaimed himself "pretty much a lifelong hunter," only to have his spokesman struggle to go beyond two episodes of hunting in his life. Even the guns kept in Romney's Utah vacation home turned out to be owned by one of his sons.
Individually, such incidents will hardly bring down a presidential campaign. But cumulatively, they can erode its foundation. Just ask John Kerry, another Massachusetts politician who ran for president.
His 2004 presidential campaign was undermined by doubts about his own authenticity and political core, encapsulated in his infamous "I-voted-for-it-before-I-voted-against-it" comment about war funding.
Despite public opposition to the Iraq War, despite a faltering economy, despite — in the eyes of most political analysts — beating President Bush in their three prime-time campaign debates, Kerry lost the election.
Voters just did not connect with him in sufficient numbers to oust an incumbent a lot disliked.
In Romney's case, he has a commendable resume on which to campaign, rooted in a moral base highlighted by a 42-year marriage and a religious faith rooted in clean living.
He did well as a student, earning a law degree and masters in business at Harvard at the same time. He did better than well in business, providing seed money as a venture capitalist and making himself tens of millions for himself in the process. He then walked away from Bain Capital and deals that could have earned him tens of millions more to do a public service by volunteering to resurrect the financially troubled 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
Returning to Massachusetts, he helped reverse a budget shortfall and signed into law the nation's first universal health care law, all while eschewing a salary. Today, over 98 percent of state residents have insurance, and the plan has served as model for national legislation.
Over the weekend, Romney provided an answer for those asking how he could have done such a thing. Still to come is an answer for those asking why he does other things, and what they all say about him.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
Monahan joins administration after party role
A day after the Massachusetts Democratic Party revealed Stacey Monahan was stepping down as executive director, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. JudyAnn Bigby announced Monahan was joining the Patrick administration.
She will serve as chief of staff to the Cabinet secretary.
"I am confident that Stacey will be a strong addition to our team," Bigby said of the Boston College graduate.
Monahan begins her new job on March 21.
Monahan ran day-to-day affairs at the party when Republican Scott Brown staged an upset and won the January 2010 special election to replace the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. She also was in charge on Nov. 2, when the Democrats rebounded.
Governor Deval Patrick not only won a second term, and his party bucked the GOP tide sweeping the nation by retaining all 10 of the state's US House seats even as Republicans reclaimed the chamber's majority.
Monahan is being replaced at the party by Clare Kelly, who supervised Patrick's field operation last fall.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
Brown abstains from signing GOP letter on Berwick
Most Senate Republicans are asking President Obama to withdraw the nomination of the man central to implementing the sweeping national health care law passed last year, but Senator Scott Brown is not among them.
Forty-two GOP senators sent a letter to the White House today complaining of Donald M. Berwick’s past statements and lack of experience, and saying the president should start again with a candidate to head Medicare that Republicans could support and confirm.
“Withdrawing Dr. Berwick’s nomination would be a positive first step in rebuilding the trust of the American people,” the letter read.
Brown, who was elected in large part because of his opposition to the health care law, did not sign, and nor did the two moderate Republicans from Maine, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. The other two absent Republicans are Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rob Portman of Ohio.
Brown spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said the Massachusetts Republican “has always been troubled” by Berwick’s recess appointment. Senators should have the chance to question the candidate, she said, and Brown would make up his mind about Berwick after doing so.
“The president can nominate the person he thinks is best for the job and Senator Brown looks forward to reviewing Dr. Berwick's credentials," she said in a statement.
The president temporarily appointed Berwick, a former Harvard professor, when the Senate was on recess, but he has never been confirmed. The head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has a key role in implementing the overhaul that Congress passed last year.
In response to the letter, the White House said that Berwick is “far and away the best person for the job.”
“He's already doing stellar work at CMS: saving taxpayer dollars by cracking down on fraud, and implementing delivery system reforms that will save billions in excess costs and save millions of lives. We won't be withdrawing the nomination,” the statement said.
Patrick won't criticize payout to former Blue Cross Blue Shield executive
Governor Deval Patrick is not embracing the popular outrage over the $8.6 million in compensation given to Cleve L. Killingsworth, the former chief executive of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, who resigned abruptly last year.
Patrick, who propelled his re-election campaign by repeatedly excoriating his Republican challenger, Charles D. Baker, for taking a $1.7 million salary as chief executive of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, pointedly declined to criticize Killingsworth over his much more substantial haul.
"My focus is on how we get costs down in the system and, in particular, how we get premiums reduced, and we’ve been doing a lot of work in that area, and I’m not going to be distracted from that,” Patrick said today, in response to questions from the press.
Asked again about the appropriateness of Killingsworth’s severance package in light of Blue Cross Blue Shield’s status as a nonprofit heath insurer, Patrick shot back: “I got your question. That was my answer.”
Killingsworth, a major Democratic donor, has given $5,000 to the Massachusetts Democratic Party and $1,500 to the governor's campaign fund.
Patrick’s comments came a day after Attorney General Martha Coakley, who oversees nonprofit organizations, announced she would investigate the compensation deal that Killingsworth negotiated with Blue Cross’ board.
“I understand why the public is upset,’’ Coakley said told the Globe yesterday.
“This is a CEO of a not-for-profit,” she said. “Our job is to understand the thought process of the board, what was the diligence that they employed in determining the terms and amounts, and were there appropriate deliberations in terms of their duty as a nonprofit.’’
Baker joining venture capital firm, doing DWTS
Former Republican gubernatorial contender Charles Baker is returning to the private sector as a venture capitalist aimed at building smaller companies.
Underscoring his wild side, the famous air guitarist also said he's entering a "Dancing with the Stars" competition this weekend.
In an e-mail to friends and supporters this morning, the former Harvard Pilgrim Health Care president said he was joining Cambridge-based General Catalyst as "executive in residence."
Baker said his decision was rooted in the many conversations he had during last year's campaign with business owners.
"These conversations got me thinking that instead of taking a leadership role at a large organization, I would rather work with entrepreneurs, small business owners, and the people who work with them, to help their companies grow," he wrote.
He said General Catalyst "aims to help entrepreneur-owned businesses, and leverages
its resources to help management teams build on their success and accelerate their growth." He will focus on health care, according to a biography immediately posted on the company's website.
Baker told his followers he's also planning to join the boards of a couple of small businesses in Massachusetts.
In addition, the former gubernatorial Cabinet member and corporate CEO harked back to his subsequent tenure as a Swampscott selectman by saying he "may have a chance to join the board of a local credit union, as well."
Finally, Baker said he's entering a "Dancing with the Stars" competition for his native Needham on Saturday night.
"It’s all part of the town’s 300th anniversary celebration, and it should be a lot of fun," he wrote. "I’ll try not to break anything."
Since losing to Democratic Governor Deval Patrick in November, Baker has largely been out of the public spotlight.
Patrick branded Baker a corporate titan, enriching himself while raising health insurance premiums. Baker highlighted Harvard Pilgrim's financial turnaround and its customer satisfaction ratings. Working now with small business owners should provide plenty of American Dream stories for any future political campaign.
While Baker has been pursuing his own next job, he has also worked aggressively with his former staffers to help them get post-campaign jobs. He has continued to work out of his campaign headquarters in South Boston and left the door open for his former staffers, too.
His reemergence included a fundraiser last Friday for a fellow Republican, Senator Scott Brown.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
House panel calls governor on health care
Governor Deval Patrick wrapped up a long weekend in Washington this morning with testimony about the Massachusetts health care plan before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
In a shortened version of prepared remarks, the Democrat noted the history of the Massachusetts legislation, highlighted it was passed in 2006 thanks to cooperation between then-Republican Governor Mitt Romney and the Democratic Legislature, and said it has achieved nearly universal care while only adding 1 percent to the state budget.
Following up, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, a potential Romney rival in the 2012 White House campaign, said bluntly, "We don't want that."
committee host, Representative
Edward Markey, today in
Washington D.C.
Setting a political dagger, he reiterated the Massachusetts plan was developed by Romney and the leading Democrat that Republicans used to hate, Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
Patrick has unique perspective on the Obama plan as governor of the state with a universal health care law that served as model for the federal program. But aides expected him to be challenged by committee Republicans seeking to repeal the national law.
The debate could be a proxy battle for an expected element of the 2012 presidential race, as Barbour indicated.
Nonetheless, Patrick was generally treated respectfully, as Democrats used their questions to coax answers supporting Obama's program, while Republicans tried to attack it.
On several occasions, the governor tried to build support for the president by noting that Massachusetts is already a way down the road the nation is set to travel.
"This is not so scary to us," he said.
His committee host, Representative Edward Markey, D-Mass., also got the governor to underscore that Massachusetts has a balanced budget, 98 percent insured, and unemployment below the national average — even with its universal health law.
The dean of the congressional delegation told the governor he was doing "a great job."
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
President endorses Brown proposal on health care
WASHINGTON — President Obama said Monday he now supports a plan by
Republican Senator Scott Brown that allows states to opt out of the health care overhaul’s key requirements early, a concession that positions the president as willing to compromise on his signature accomplishment.
Obama's shift was announced in an address to the nation’s governors, many of whom have sued the White House to prevent implementation of the health care law. While boosting the prospects of the Massachusetts senator’s bipartisan bill in the Senate, the new position is unlikely to placate the health care law’s detractors or gain approval in the GOP-controlled House. And such an endorsement will not win back support for Brown from Tea Party conservatives, who ferociously denounce the law as an overreach of federal power.
The senator has previously called for the repeal of the health care overhaul, but has shown a willingness to work within the existing rules to change the law for the benefit of Massachusetts residents.
Brown and Democrat Ron Wyden of Oregon filed the bill earlier this year. The legislation would enable states to request permission to withdraw from the law’s mandates in 2014 rather than in 2017. To receive the exemption, the states must demonstrate that they could find other ways to cover as many people as the original law would — something Massachusetts has already accomplished — and do so without adding costs. The earlier date is when many of the act’s central provisions take effect.
The legislation is unlikely to significantly affect Massachusetts, which already has implemented many of the core elements of the national plan, but it would allow other states to forge their own plans.
The president said such a change would allow states to tailor the law to their own needs.
"Alabama is not going to have exactly the same needs of Massachusetts or California or North Dakota," Obama said in making the announcement. "We believe in that flexibility."
Brown said that he was pleased with the president's support but reiterated his opposition to the overall law. "(Senator Brown) strongly opposes the federal health care law, and believes states should have the ability to implement their own plans that provide quality care for all their citizens," his office said in a statement.
Tom Miller, a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said that the legislation probably won’t earn Brown any additional support from conservatives; rather, he’s trying to earn support from moderates.
"People who think this bill is fundamentally flawed and the approach is the wrong one to begin with should not take much solace in saying that if you can come up with a slightly different approach to the basic system," he said.
Patrick lauds Romney for health care law
Governor Deval Patrick today praised his predecessor, Mitt Romney, for the health care legislation the former Republican governor crafted with the Democrat-controlled Massachusetts Legislature.
Appearing on ABC's "This Week," Patrick singled out health care as one issue Romney "deserves a lot of credit" for over his four years in office, linking his predecessor to the issue that, as a likely presidential candidate, Romney would probably prefer to avoid.
"One of the best things he did was to be the co-author of our health care reform, which has been a model for national health care reform" Patrick said.
Patrick also talked about state budgeting as a budget standoff continues in Wisconsin over collective bargaining rights.
The governor said labor and government don't need to be at odds during tough fiscal time, saying that Massachusetts balanced its budget while funding education.
"We can do this with labor at the table," he said.
Patrick, Coakley back Obama decision to stop defending DOMA in courts
Attorney General Martha Coakley, who filed a 2009 lawsuit that helped persuade a federal judge in Boston to declare the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional in July, said she was “very pleased” with the president’s decision to no longer defend the law.
“Today’s decision…is another very important victory for the civil rights of same-couples and their families,” Coakley said at a press conference in her Boston office. “We think the reasoning, as expressed by General Holder is, in some ways, dependent on the extensive discovery and arguments that occurred in Massachusetts."
In a statement released by his office, Governor Deval Patrick threw his support behind the Obama administration.
“I am tremendously heartened today by President Obama’s decision to turn away from this divisive and unfair law,.'' he said. "In Massachusetts, we believe that every person ought to be able to marry whomever they love, and we believe the rest of the country is moving forward in that direction, too."
Coakley told reporters that the law has now been declared discriminatory and unconstitutional by the judge in Boston, Joseph L. Tauro, and by the Obama administration.
Capuano now says he regrets urging union protesters to get 'bloody'
US Representative Michael E. Capuano, who decried violent political rhetoric after last month’s fatal shooting rampage in Tucson, said today he regrets urging union workers at a rally in Boston yesterday to “get a little bloody.”
"I strongly believe in standing up for worker rights and my passion for preserving those rights may have gotten the best of me yesterday in an unscripted speech,” the Somerville Democrat said in a statement. “I wish I had used different language to express my passion and I regret my choice of words."
Capuano was referring to remarks he made at a raucous rally of about 1,000 union workers who were outside the State House, protesting Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, and his plan to limit public employees' collective bargaining rights.
"I'm proud to be with people who understand that it's more than just sending an e-mail that gets you going," Capuano had declared. "Every once in a while you need to get out on the streets and get a little bloody when necessary."
The union crowd greeted Capuano's exhortation with cheers, whistles, and applause.
But his remark raised eyebrows elsewhere because Capuano was among the lawmakers who were calling for cooler political rhetoric after his Democratic colleague, Gabrielle Giffords, was shot in the Tucson rampage that killed six other people last month.
At the time, Capuano had said the shooting was probably inevitable because of the nation's increasingly heated political rhetoric.
“Many of us were afraid for a long time that something like this would happen, with the level or the tone of the discourse over the last several years," Capuano told WGBH on Jan. 22. "It's gotten violent and personal.”
Capuano echoed that sentiment in a Jan. 9 interview with the Globe.
“Everybody knows the last couple of years there’s been an intentional increase in the degree of heat in political discourse,” he said. “If nothing else good comes out of this, I’m hoping it causes people to reconsider how they deal with things."
Capuano ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in 2009, and is considering a run against Republican Scott Brown in 2012.
Obama renominates Berwick to key post
WASHINGTON -- President Obama has renominated Donald Berwick to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a pivotal position in implementing the president’s health care law.
The renomination was one of almost 40 made late today, including several nominees with Bay State ties.
Using a recess appointment, Obama had placed Berwick, a Harvard professor and Boston pediatrician noted for his work to improve health care without raising costs, into his position on July 7 after the Senate did not confirm him.
Some Republicans contended Berwick’s positions could lead to care rationing; others hinted they would vote against him in protest of the president’s health care overhaul.
The use of a recess appointment allows a president to fill a position without Senate confirmation when Congress isn’t in session. Because of the way he was appointed, however, Berwick’s term runs only to the end of this year, and he would need to win confirmation in order to carry out key changes to the health care system.
Since in office, Berwick has been developing a system of innovation sites across the nation to test ways to improve care and cut costs. The sites are the first step in changing the fundamental ways the government pays physicians and hospitals.
The renomination was one of several from the president yesterday:
-- Craig Becker, to the National Labor Relations Board. His appointment was blocked by Republicans, who thought his positions were overly pro-labor. Obama made a recess appointment for Becker in April.
-- Francis J. Ricciardone Jr., as ambassador to Turkey. The Boston native and Malden Catholic graduate had been blocked from his position by Senator Sam Brownback, Republican of Kansas, who said he thought Ricciardone would not be committed to democratic reform in Turkey. Under Senate rules, a single senator can place a hold on a nomination, which would require 60 votes to lift. Ricciardone had served as ambassador to Egypt from 2005 to 2008, appointed by President George W. Bush. Obama had installed him in Ankara with a recess appointment last month.
-- Robert Stephen Ford, as ambassador to Syria. Ford, who had served as ambassador to Algeria, had been blocked by Republicans who believed installing a full ambassador in Damascus would reward Syria, which has had ties with terrorist groups. Obama had used a recess appointment last month to install Ford.
-- Scott C. Doney, as chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Senator David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, has been holding up the nomination of Doney, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, to protest the slow pace of permits for offshore oil drilling following the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sebelius, Democrats in full-throated defense of health care law
The Obama administration has launched an all-out defense of its health care law just days before the US House is slated to vote on repeal, with US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius in Boston yesterday, one of many dispatched across the country to highlight benefits of the overhaul.
‘‘People keep calling this political theater,’’ Sebelius said, alluding to the repeal vote, ‘‘but unfortunately the theater has huge consequences for the American public.’’
Sebelius is among the most high-profile combatants in the administration’s effort to rebuild support for the law. The administration strategy relies heavily on publicizing provisions the White House says are already helping the public, such as lower drug costs for seniors and a ban on insurance companies denying coverage to children with preexisting medical conditions.
Officials from the Massachusetts office of the US Department of Health and Human Services sought to bolster Sebelius’ case yesterday by releasing estimates that more than 9,800 young adults here would lose insurance coverage through their parents’ health plans if the law is repealed. The officials also said that nearly 4.5 million state residents with private insurance would be subject to lifetime limits on how much insurance companies spend on their health care, which is forbidden under the law.
FULL ENTRYSenate approves health care bill fix sought by Children's Hosptial Boston
WASHINGTON – The Senate tonight voted to fix an error in the federal health care law that could have cost Children’s Hospital Boston and others like it millions of dollars in added drug costs to treat children with rare diseases.
The change, which had already passed the House, was included as part of a broader bill that extended through next year a Medicare physician payment formula. The legislation ensures that Medicare and Tricare – the health program for military service members and retirees – would continue paying physicians at current levels.
But the legislation also made a much sought-after change benefiting children’s hospitals that had been pursued by both Massachusetts senators, which the Globe reported about two weeks ago.
Senator Scott Brown, the Massachusetts Republican, had filed a stand-alone bill to fix the error, while Senator John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat, had helped persuade top members in his party to make the change through an amendment to a bill addressing broader tax policies.
Making the change had proved controversial, though, because it involved President Obama’s landmark health care legislation. Republicans have been fighting to repeal the health care bill rather than fix it, and Democrats have been loath to acknowledge its flaws.
The change involved correcting an unintentional drafting error that was made in the final, frenetic days of drafting the controversial health care legislation. Congressional staff intended to allow children's hospitals continued access to the portion of a federal program that offers below-market prices on 347 specific medicines for rare, life-threatening conditions. But that language was accidentally altered, cutting the children’s hospitals out of that part of the program.
If the efforts to change the language had failed, Children’s Hospital Boston officials had said they would have been forced to find new ways to fund the drugs for poor children with rare diseases, such as neurological disorders and severe juvenile arthritis.
The Boston hospital, one of nearly 30 across the country with this problem, estimated that the mistake would have cost between $1.5 million and $3 million annually. Nationally, the problem would have cost children's hospitals about $100 million annually.
Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.
Jimmy Carter blames Kennedy for delays in health care
WASHINGTON – Edward M. Kennedy may have died of brain cancer last year, but that has not softened Jimmy Carter’s assessment of his rival for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
In a "60 Minutes" interview to be aired Sunday, Carter blames Kennedy for delaying comprehensive health care coverage for Americans by not joining forces with him on a bill during his presidency.
If Kennedy had dropped his insistence on full national health insurance and endorsed Carter’s compromise plan, the former president says, repeating views he and aides have held for decades, American could have had universal coverage long ago.
"The fact is that we would have had comprehensive health care now, had it not been for Ted Kennedy’s deliberately blocking the legislation that I proposed," Carter tells Lesley Stahl, according to a 60 Minutes press release today. "It was his fault. Ted Kennedy killed the bill."
Carter also repeats in the interview his view that Kennedy ran against him for the 1980 nomination out of spite. "He did not want to see me have a major success in that realm of life," Carter says. Carter defeated Kennedy for the nomination but lost the White House to Ronald Reagan.
The former president is on 60 Minutes to discuss his new book, "White House Diary," which is based on a diary he kept during his presidency, which rehashes episodes from the health care debates of the time.
A reprinted diary entry from the battles over health care reads: "Kennedy continuing his irresponsible and abusive attitude, immediately condemning our health plan. He could not get five votes for his plan."
In later decades, Kennedy dropped his single-minded insistence on national health insurance and pursued a variety of incremental coverage expansions. When asked about his greatest legislative regret, he often mentioned his failure to cut a health care deal earlier in the 1970s, with Richard Nixon. Kennedy died in August 2009 while President Obama’s overhaul, approved this year, was still being debated.
Berwick, new head of Medicare and Medicaid, says he does not advocate rationing health care in first major speech
WASHINGTON -- Dr. Donald Berwick, the Harvard health care safety and efficiency advocate who now heads Medicare and Medicaid in Washington, told health insurance executives in Washington today that he does not advocate rationing or major "top down'' government solutions to transform the health care system.
In his first major speech since President Obama named Berwick with a recess appointment in July, Berwick said he does not support withholding care from Americans as means of controlling costs.
"I want lower costs without harming a hair on any patient's head," Berwick added, according to a report by The Associated Press.
Berwick has kept a low profile since his appointment and has rebuffed requests for interviews from the Globe and other media outlets. Berwick has come under fire from Republicans who claim he is an advocate for rationing. They have also seized on his praise for the British health-care system to allege that he supports a single-payer, government solution for the United States.
Berwick did not directly take on his detractors in his highest-profile public appearance. But his remarks appeared to rebut the GOP broadsides.
"A massive, top down, national project is not the way to do this," Berwick told the conference hosted by America's Health Insurance Plans, the industry lobbying group.
The AP report quoted Berwick as saying he wants a "full partnership" with the insurance industry, since tens of millions on Medicare and Medicaid are already getting health care through private insurers. But he also said he'll "play tough" with those who resist change.
The industry's top lobbyist, Karen Ignagni, responded after the speech, "We intend to work with you to get it right."
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Berwick's boss, has accused health insurance companies of hitting Americans with excessive premium increases and of unfairly blaming this year's health overhaul law for boosting premiums.
Harvard professor Berwick sworn in as chief of Medicare and Medicaid
Harvard professor Dr. Donald Berwick was sworn in today in Boston to be the next chief of Medicare and Medicaid, and will begin duties tomorrow in Washington by diving into the details of how to encourage physicians to adopt systems for electronic medical records.
Berwick -- an expert in healthcare policy, quality improvement, and cost effectiveness analysis -- was sworn in this afternoon by Chris Hager, the New England regional director of the Department of Health and Human Services.
"He will be getting to work right away,'' said Peter Ashkenaz, spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that Berwick will lead after his appointment last week by President Obama. His job gives him broad authority over the giant Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs, which are central to the Obama Administration's health care overhaul efforts.
Obama bypassed the Senate confirmation process and named Berwick in a recess appointment during the congressional July Fourth vacation to avoid a battle over the nomination promised by Republicans. The GOP planned to use hearings on Berwick's nomination to renew objections to the sweeping health care overhaul law passed this year as well as to grill Berwick over statements he has made about rationing health care and his admiration of the British health care system.
Berwick will be participating with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in an event tomorrow about health care technology and the standards that physicians and hospitals must meet to qualify for federal funds for installing medical records software.
Administration gives $250 million to create more doctors and nurses
The Obama Administration today moved to plug holes on the front lines of health care, spending $250 million with the intent to create more primary care doctors, nurse-practioners, and nurses in the United States. The money is half of $500 million that will be spent to boost the supply of primary providers. Shortages are chronic in the health system, which leads to inadequate preventive care and needless hospitalizations because problems were not treated early. Here is how the money will be spent, according to a press release from the Department of Health and Human Services:
- Creating additional primary care residency slots: $168 million for training more than 500 new primary care physicians by 2015;
- Supporting physician assistant training in primary care: $32 million for supporting the development of more than 600 new physician assistants, who practice medicine as members of a team with their supervising physician, and can be trained in a shorter period of time compared to physicians;
- Encouraging students to pursue full-time nursing careers: $30 million for encouraging over 600 nursing students to attend school full-time so that they have better odds of completing their education;
- Establishing new nurse practitioner-led clinics: $15 million for the operation of 10 nurse-managed health clinics which assist in the training of nurse practitioners. These clinics are staffed by nurse practitioners, which provide comprehensive primary health care services to populations living in medically underserved communities.
- Encouraging states to plan for and address health professional workforce needs: $5 million for states to plan and implement innovative strategies to expand their primary care workforce by 10 to 25 percent over ten years to meet increased demand for primary care services.
Investigators shift focus to block Medicare fraud
WASHINGTON – New Medicare models for paying hospitals and doctors will require a shift in the focus of fraud investigators, a top federal official warned today in prepared testimony.
The current "fee-for-service’’ reimbursement system is open to familiar scams where doctors and other caregivers order excessive procedures, bilking the government unnecessary charges. But under a variety of cost-saving plans under development that will use "bundled’’ and "global’’ payments – flat fees to treat certain types of patients – the danger is that some corrupt providers cheat patients and the government by skimping on care.
"When the program pays on a capitated basis, the incentives are reversed; unethical providers stint on needed care,’’ said Lewis Morris, chief counsel for the Office of Inspector General in the Department of Health and Human Services.
"Experience has taught us that how health care programs pay for services dictates how the programs are defrauded,’’ he said.
Morris's remarks were contained in prepared testimony for an appearance today before oversight panels of the House Ways and Means Committee.
The Office of Inspector General is developing plans to scrutinize new models of care to block fraud opportunities, Morris said. The new health care overhaul law signed by President Obama this year, he added, gives OIG investigators better tools to scrutinize Medicare computer data in a hunt for fraud.
Health insurance industry spent $7.7 million to fight healthcare overhaul
The health insurance industry's largest players spent $7.7 million in the first three months of 2010 seeking to shape or blunt the health overhaul in Congress, according to figures released today by a labor-backed advocacy group, which reviewed public disclosure documents. The figure includes lobbying expenditures by two big trade groups -- the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and America's Health Insurance Plans -- as well as six publicly-traded health insurance companies.
The lobbying figures released by Health Care for America Now, which supported passage of President Obama's health overhaul and has been a steady critic of insurance companies, are only a small slice of industry's efforts. The numbers do not include campaign contributions to elected officials, lobbying in state capitals, or TV advertising campaigns. Health Care for America Now says insurance companies are "trying to interfere with implementation'' of the new law, which will require that most Americans purchase health insurance by 2014 while prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage.
- CHRISTOPHER ROWLAND
Kerry defends Berwick against critics
WASHINGTON -- Senator John F. Kerry rose to the defense of Harvard professor Donald Berwick Thursday, deriding Republicans who have used what Kerry called ``phony assertions'' to damage Berwick's nomination to run the country's Medicare and Medicaid programs.
``It’s no secret that the national Republican Party has tried to crank up the attack machine and make his nomination a distorted referendum on reform,'' Kerry said in a statement after meeting with Berwick Thursday afternoon. ``I hope everyone will instead take a deep breath and look at the facts about this public servant who is beyond debate a dedicated pediatrician and nationally recognized expert on health care quality.''
Berwick, a professor at both Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, is President Obama's pick to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which administer government health care programs for the elderly as well as the poor and disabled. The agency will play a pivotal role in the new health care law, which includes cuts in Medicare funding and an historic expansion of Medicaid to extend coverage to a broader group of Americans.
Berwick gave a private speech Wednesday in Washington to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a group with the stated mission of improving health care. There was no transcript of the speech, spokeswoman Jessie duPont said, adding that she did not know its content.
As president of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a not-for-profit organization, Berwick has drawn praise from health care experts across the philosophical spectrum for his knowledge of the issue and approaches to solving the problem of increasing costs.
But some Republicans, eager to have another fight over the contentious health care law, are gunning for Berwick and plan to use his nomination hearings as a platform to relitigate the law Obama signed in March.
Several US senators took to the Senate floor Wednesday evening to criticize Berwick, suggesting that he endorsed ``rationing'' of health care. Berwick, as is typical for appointees, has declined to be interviewed ahead of his nomination hearings, but Kerry Thursday spoke for the doctor.
``We need better than phony assertions that he’d ever set up death panels in Medicare, or interfere in personal health care decisions made between patients and their doctors,'' Kerry said. ``Frankly, we need a more honest debate than we had over health reform itself, which didn’t serve anyone well. It’s time to permanently retire these ridiculous accusations from politics and thoughtfully consider our nominees so that first rate experts won’t shy away from public service.''
Kerry is a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, which will consider Berwick's nomination. The panel, whose members are now entrenched in a financial services regulation bill, has yet to set a date for the hearings.
Democrats expect that Berwick will be confirmed but believe the process will be an ugly one, with the doctor used as a dartboard for another health care overhaul battle. Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, the senior Republican on the panel, has not joined in the GOP attacks on Berwick. He is keeping an open mind and looks forward to questioning Berwick at the hearings, a Grassley aide said.
``I know he’s up to the challenge,'' Kerry said. ``His decades of experience in improving patient care and transforming the delivery of health systems will be a tremendous asset in overseeing federal programs that serve our children, individuals with disabilities, seniors, and low-income families.''
Kerry noted that Berwick was very familiar with the Massachusetts health care plan, and said, ``I think it’ll be a real asset to have someone like Don on board in Washington who has seen first-hand the lessons of the Massachusetts experiment. He knows how to build on those achievements.''
Obama chooses Harvard professor Donald Berwick to run Medicare, Medicaid
WASHINGTON -- Harvard Medical School professor Donald Berwick's nomination to run the nation's Medicare and Medicaid programs is now official.
President Obama, whose staff several weeks ago floated Berwick's name to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, made the formal announcement Monday afternoon. Berwick, the president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, now must convince a US Senate still bitterly divided over the health care overhaul law to confirm him to the job.
Berwick's fans credit him with what they call innovative ideas to lower health care costs while maintaining quality care. That approach, supporters say, is critical in the next decade, when Medicare funding is set to be shrunk by $400 billion while Medicaid, the program for the poor and disabled, will undergo its biggest expansion in history.
"Dr. Berwick has dedicated his career to improving outcomes for patients and providing better care at lower cost," Obama said in a statement. "That’s one of the core missions facing our next CMS Administrator, and I’m confident that Don will be an outstanding leader for the agency and the millions of Americans it serves."
The American Medical Association also welcomed Berwick's nomination, calling the Harvard professor and pediatrician "widely known and well-respected for his visionary leadership efforts that focus on optimizing the quality and safety of patient care in hospitals and across health care settings."
The AARP, a powerful seniors' lobby, also hailed the pick.
"Dr. Berwick’s expertise on health care innovation and his dedication to quality improvement and patient safety would benefit the millions of low-income and older Americans served by Medicare and Medicaid," said John Rother, the group's executive vice president.
However, Berwick could face a tough nomination fight. His cost-cutting ideas could be seen as rationing, leading the Senate to revisit discredited claims that the health care law will include "death panels" assigned to deciding who lives and who dies. Republican aides are also scouring Berwick's writings, looking for controversial rhetoric.
Even if Berwick himself does not draw partisan attacks, his nomination hearings provide the Senate with another platform to fight about health care overhaul, an issue Republicans believe will be key to depleting Democratic majorities in Congress in this November's elections.
Berwick declined to comment pending his nomination hearings. His spokesman, Jesse duPont, said Berwick "is honored to be nominated and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is gratified that a leader in health care quality improvement has been recognized by the Obama administration as a strong candidate to head up CMS."
Brown not ready to repeal health care yet
WASHINGTON – As Republicans are mounting plans to repeal the health care legislation -- and girding for battle in the Senate over a series of changes -- Senator Scott Brown is so far not immediately jumping on the bandwagon despite his well-established opposition to President Obama's health care overhaul.
Instead, Brown is keeping his options open in the wake of a Republican defeat, saying he wants time to study the bills and was noncommittal over whether he would vote against it.
When asked today if it was possible that he would vote for the so-called reconciliation package that the Senate will debate this week, Brown said, "I haven't read it yet. I want to be able to read it first."
The legislation was released on Thursday and has been virtually the only topic anyone in Congress has talked about for weeks.
Brown also said initially that he is not yet ready to join some of his Republican colleagues in an effort to repeal the health care bill that President Obama will sign today.
"I think that's a little premature," he said, when asked whether he would try to repeal the legislation. "I want to see what's going to be in play." A spokeswoman for Brown later said, "Brown believes that there should absolutely be an opportunity to repeal it."
Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina is already planning to file legislation to repeal the law, and Senator John McCain of Arizona sent out a plea to supporters today saying, "I assure you I am not quitting our fight. I believe we must repeal this bill immediately." Republican representatives Michele Bachmann, of Minnesota, and Steve King, of Iowa, both sent out messages on Twitter saying they planned to fight to repeal it.
"This bill is so deeply unpopular that the voters in the most liberal state in the country just elected a Republican to the Senate for the first time in nearly four decades in order to stop it," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said today on the Senate floor. "Democrats want to pretend this didn't happen…Well, they're living in a fantasy. And, today that fantasy becomes even more absurd."
While Brown may simply be trying to keep his options open ahead of a tumultuous week in Washington, his soft rhetoric is striking given that he campaigned so aggressively against the new law during his special election.
Brown's rheotric was sharper during an apperance on WEEI-AM, where he encouraged listeners to call their senators to complain, predicted that attorneys general would challenge the constitutionality of the bill, and aruged that it would hurt Massachusetts.
“This bill will clearly hurt our jobs,” Brown said on the radio show. “And we will lose a lot of jobs here in Massachusetts. We will have lesser coverage, and longer lines. And I just don’t know how we’re going to pay for all this.”
Brown made the remarks to the Globe at the Boston Fish Pier, after he and other lawmakers attended a meeting with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco.
"I have to see what they're proposing," Brown said, when asked if he would fight it in the Senate. "I'm heading back to get briefed. I think everyone is fighting fiercely, and I'm going to fight fiercely for jobs in Massachusetts, and the medical device companies. We're talking about 22,000 jobs that could be severely affected in Massachusetts."
He then got into a rented red Chrysler Sebring (the truck, he said, was in Washington). Aides later said the comments did not represent a shift, saying he remained opposed to the health care plan but simply wanted to review the legislation.
"Senator Brown has been very clear that he opposes the trillion dollars in spending, the billions of dollars in tax increases and enormous financial burden it will put on Massachusetts businesses," Brown's communications director, Gail Gitcho, said in a statement. "Plain and simple, this bill will hurt jobs and the economy in the Commonwealth and Senator Brown believes that there should absolutely be an opportunity to repeal it."
The debate this week could also be an early test of the relationship between Brown and the state's senior senator, John Kerry.
Kerry is among those who signed a letter that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delivered to House Democrats over the weekend, pledging to pass the fixes that the House wanted. That process could get messy, and Kerry's commitment could play an important role.
"Let's get the job done," Kerry said today at Fish Pier. "I believe this is an historic, critical moment for our country. We are now about to be no longer the only developed nation in the world that doesn't help provide affordable access and insurance to all of our citizens. We're doing so in a way that reduces the deficit, that will strengthen the Massachusetts system. No one in Massachusetts who receives healthcare today is going to be forced to do something different."
Kerry also said there has been an "enormous amount of misinformation and distortion," and that he planned to come back with the Democratic delegation to "present why this bill is good, and what we believe it does."
"I'm convinced it's good for Massachusetts and for this country," he said.
Romney denounces health plan, process
Mitt Romney took a moment his book tour to lambaste the new health care law, calling for a repeal and characterizing President Obama as an abuser of power and purveyor of fraudulent claims.
"President Obama has betrayed his oath to the nation — rather than bringing us together, ushering in a new kind of politics, and rising above raw partisanship, he has succumbed to the lowest denominator of incumbent power: justifying the means by extolling the ends. He promised better; we deserved better,'' Romney wrote in a statement on the website of his political action committee, Free and Strong America.
The former Massachusetts governor has been criss-crossing the country and doing a series of interviews on his recently released book, "No Apology,'' which premiered Sunday atop The New York Times' best-seller list for non-fiction books. Romney had actively supported and signed the 2006 bill that greatly expanded availability of health care in the Bay State. Many analysts have pointed to the Massachusetts plan as a model for Obama's and the Democrats' national package.
Romney disagreed.
"His health care bill is unhealthy for America. It raises taxes, slashes the more private side of Medicare, installs price controls, and puts a new federal bureaucracy in charge of health care. It will create a new entitlement even as the ones we already have are bankrupt. For these reasons and more, the act should be repealed. That campaign begins today.''
Romney, who ran for the GOP nomination for president in 2008 and is considered a possible candidate in 2012, did not specify if he would play a role in any repeal campaign. His PAC has been a top fund-raiser for Republican candidates across the nation and he could use his influence to back candidates that support a repeal.
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Pelosi credits Kennedy before House vote
Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged the late senator Edward M. Kennedy last night just before the House approved historic health care legislation. Kennedy, who died last August, fought for decades to overhaul the nation's health care system and often referred to it as his life's mission. Watch Pelosi's remarks below.
Lynch will vote against President Obama's health care overhaul
WASHINGTON – Despite pressure from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats, Representative Stephen F. Lynch of South Boston said today that he will vote against President Obama’s health care overhaul when it comes to the House floor, contending that it doesn’t put enough pressure on insurance companies to reduce costs.
The move is a switch for Lynch, who voted in favor of the House health care bill in November. But he said the current version, which was approved by the Senate, is not as strong as that measure. Lynch’s decision makes passing health care more difficult for House leaders, who are trying to get commitments to vote yes from 216 representatives.
“We’ve paid the ransom, but at the end of the day the insurance companies are still holding the hostages,” Lynch said in an interview with the Globe early this afternoon. “This is a very good bill for insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. It might be good for Nebraska, I don’t know. Or Florida residents…But it’s not good for the average American, and it’s not good for my district. Or for Massachusetts.”
He said he opposes the so-called Cadillac tax the Senate adopted that would put a surcharge on expensive health insurance plans, and he is also disappointed that the final bill doesn’t include proposals to allow states to adopt a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers.
“The insurers still rule,” he said. “Were just pumping subsidies into the current system, but that won’t drive down costs.”
Pressure on him is coming from the White House, House leadership, and members of the Massachusetts delegation, but Lynch said he didn’t see a scenario where he could support the bill.
Lynch is going to the White House this afternoon to hear a plea from President Obama. Vicki Kennedy has also spoken to him.
Lynch downplayed any notion that Obama’s presidency could be irreparably damaged if his signature health care reform package is defeated.
“This will not sink his presidency,” he said. “That fear is overstated.”
He also deflected questions about his political future and whether he is seeking to appease angry voters as a way of setting himself up for a run in 2012 against Republican Senator Scott Brown, who won his office with a steady assault on the Democrats’ health care plans. “These are questions for another day,” he said. “We have a lot of road to travel.”
A second Massachusetts lawmaker, Representative Michael Capuano of Somerville, said he remains undecided. “I want to vote YES, but I am still not certain that this SPECIFIC bill deserves my support,” Capuano said yesterday in an email to supporters.
Lynch had counted himself earlier this week as undecided. He said he decided to vote no within the last several days. He said he is also opposed to the parliamentary procedures Democrats plan to use. Because their numbers in the Senate have diminished, they are planning to pass changes through a budget reconciliation process, which restricts the types of changes that can be made to ones that have a budgetary impact.
"I agree with Congressman Lynch, and I was pleased to hear that he will vote against this health care bill that is bad for Massachusetts," US Senator Scott Brown said in a statement.
“There doesn’t appear to be any way to put reform into this bill,” Lynch said. “It’s a very poor bill.”
Lynch also criticized the procedure Democrats are considering using to pass the legislation – by “deeming” the Senate bill approved, instead of voting directly on the Senate bill itself. Repeating a comment reported by the Boston Herald today, he called the procedure “disingenuous.” Echoing Republican complaints, he also said it “may be unconstitutional” because it wouldn’t involve an up-or-down vote on legislation.
“It’s a stretch,” he said. “I think it hurts our credibility to try to pull a prank like that. We should stand up and tell voters where we stand.”
Nonetheless, Lynch predicted it would pass.
“I think the president and speaker Pelosi are fairly persuasive,” he said. “They wouldn’t call on a vote unless they had the votes.”
Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.
Phone lines in Congress jammed from health care calls
WASHINGTON -- Trying to call your congressman? Good luck not getting a busy signal.
The Globe made a round of calls to the 12 Massachusetts congressional offices in Washington before 4 p.m. today, and half of them did not go through. Of the six that were successful the first time, half of those offices also had a busy signal on a follow-up call.
The reason: health care. With Congress making its final push toward passing health reform, calls are pouring in to congressional offices urging members to either pass or kill the legislation.
“It's been on all sides: 'It goes too far.' 'It doesn't go far enough,'” said Michael Mershon, press secretary to US Representative James McGovern, who the Globe successfully reached by phone.
McGovern, a Worcester Democrat, is getting more calls because he's on the House Rules Committee, Mershon said. “Some people are calling all Massachusetts representatives, and some people are calling from all over the country.”
Activists and leaders on the right have helped push the phone-call avalanche, including Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh. Palin tweeted: “Phones ringing nonstop in DC; Keep it up! Contact Congress tell them NO to Slaughter Rule. Start over w/real healthcare & follow r Constitution.”
Kucinich provides key vote for Democrats on health care bill
WASHINGTON – US Representative Dennis Kucinich announced this morning that he would support the health care bill, potentially providing Democrats with a key vote as President Obama’s top domestic issues heads toward a potential final vote.
Kucinich, an Ohio Democrat, had opposed the health care bill the first time around because he didn’t think it went far enough, and he is the first of the 39 Democrats who voted against the previous legislation to announce that he is supporting the current iteration. Democrats will continue to focus on flipping the votes of moderate Democrats who voted no the first time, in an effort to cobble together the 216 votes needed for it to pass.
“Well, if I can vote for this bill, there’s not many people who shouldn’t be able to support it,” Kucinich told a packed room this morning at the Capitol.
Kucinich cast the issue in lofty terms, comparing it to the Civil Rights movement and saying nothing less than the presidency at stake.
“We have to be very careful that the potential of President Obama’s presidency not be destroyed by this debate,” he said at the end of a 26-minute press conference.
Kucinich had four meetings with the president on the legislation, the most recent aboard Air Force One on Monday as Obama traveled to Kucinich’s Cleveland area district to deliver a speech on health care.
But Kucinich, who vied with Obama for the 2008 presidential Democratic nomination, has been a frequent critic of the president, particularly on health care. While he said he would not retract any of his criticisms – and said several times that the bill was not one that he liked – he said there was enough in it for him to support. And if the Democrats didn’t move forward, it would stymie many other aspects of their agenda.
“This is a defining moment,” he said. “If we stay riveted on this health care debate and don’t get out of it at all, we’ve actually created a prison here of our own making. And I don’t want to be a part of that.”
Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.
Obama's healthcare proposal attempts a compromise between House and Senate bills
WASHINGTON -- President Obama's health care proposal, released this morning in advance of his bipartisan health care summit on Thursday, would attempt to protect consumers against large health insurance premium increases by allowing government regulators to review rate hikes and block any they deem unwarranted, administration officials said this morning.
The plan, which a spokesman called the president's "best shot" at working out a compromise between the House and Senate bills, is designed to provide a pathway for Congressional Democrats to pass a health care bill without any Republican votes, if necessary, using a process called "reconciliation" that allows the Senate to pass bills by a simple majority rather than the 60-vote threshold needed to avoid a filibuster by the minority party. The House would pass the Senate's health care bill and then both chambers would pass the White House's proposed fixes under reconciliation.
"The president believes the American people deserve an up-or-down vote on health reform," said White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said in a conference call with reporters this morning. "Our proposal is designed to achieve that if the Republican Party decides to filibuster.... That was certainly a factor in how we put the proposal together."
The White House proposal underscores that the president sees the summit as a chance to make the Democratic case for health reform to the American people and to argue that vision represents a stronger and more comprehensive solution than the ideas the GOP is offering. It also shows the president does not see bipartisanship as more important than passing a comprehensive health care bill.
Since Massachusetts voters elected Republican Scott Brown to replace the late Edward M. Kennedy in January, Democrats have been unable to pass a compromise version of the health care bills the House and Senate approved last year because they are one vote short of the 60 needed to prevent a Republican filibuster in the Senate.
The White House is trying to offer a way around that problem. Its plan is essentially a series of adjustments to the health care bill the Senate passed on Christmas Eve, meant to appeal to House Democrats who have balked at passing the Senate bill without any changes. Assuming no Republicans sign on, House Democrats could pass the Senate's health care bill, and then both chambers could adopt the White House's additional changes using reconciliation.
But it remains to be seen whether Congressional Democrats have the political stomach to pass a health care bill that polls show remains unpopular with the public. Some Senate Democrats are nervous about seeming to ram through major legislation -- even though Republicans have used the procedure to adopt sweeping tax and budget proposals in years past -- and House members wanted more concessions from the Senate.
Though the president has said he is interested in hearing Republicans' ideas for health reform and working with them on a bill, he has refused to agree to GOP demands that Democrats "start from scratch," which would probably mean no bill could pass this year. Most observers of the debate believe the parties are ideologically too far apart and appear politically unwilling to cooperate on a true compromise. Democrats want a bill that can cover 30 million or more of the 50 million uninsured, and Republicans say that's too expensive to do that right now.
Dan Pfeiffer characterized the president's proposal as an "opening bid" for the health care summit on Thursday and said the White House would be happy to post a Republican plan alongside it on the White House website.
Pfeiffer said the president's proposal contained many of the agreements House and Senate leaders made in January, before Brown was elected, when they met extensively with the president to negotiate a final compromise.
The underlying Senate bill in many ways mirrors the system Massachusetts enacted in 2006, setting up state-based "exchanges" -- like the Massachusetts Health Insurance Connector Authority -- to help the uninsured purchase insurance. It provides federally subsidized assistance to people earning less than 400 percent of poverty, or $88,000 a year for a family of four, to help purchase insurance. And it prohibits insurers from dropping or denying coverage based on preexisting conditions or gender.
The White House plan tries to find a middle ground on some of the most controversial differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. It requires individuals to obtain insurance or face a fine, unless they can't find a plan that costs less than 8 percent of income, in which case they would be allowed to purchase a basic catastrophic insurance plan. It requires employers with more than 50 employees to help offset the cost to the government if their uninsured workers apply for federally subsidized insurance.
It contains no provision to establish a government-run insurance plan.
Because parliamentary rules strictly limit the content of reconciliation bills to provisions affecting revenue, the White House plan includes no changes to the Senate bill's rules on abortion coverage or to the state-based exchanges it would set up. The abortion issue in particular could be a sticking point, since a contingent of House Democrats say they will not vote for a bill that does not contain the House's more restrictive abortion language.
Instead of a special Medicaid deal for Nebraska only, the White House proposal would provide even more help to states to expand Medicaid. It also contains additional money for states like Massachusetts that already have generous Medicaid programs and so would not otherwise qualify for expansion help.
White House officials said today the new plan costs about $75 billion more than the Senate bill; the total cost would be $950 billion over 10 years. But they said that cost would be more than offset by a combination of reductions in Medicare spending, cuts to the Medicare Advantage program, industry fees, taxes on high-cost health insurance and penalties for individuals who do not purchase insurance and employers whose uninsured employees enroll in government-subsidized insurance programs.
The tougher regulatory powers contained in the legislation are designed to add a new populist appeal at a time when Anthem Blue Cross of California has said it is raising rates by 39 percent.
Read the full proposal here.
Pelosi says House and Senate still working on comprehensive health bill
By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters this morning that the House is working on two tracks to pursue health reform. She said she hopes to announce soon a series of smaller health care bills, such as removing the antitrust exemption for insurance companies, that could pass relatively quickly. But she said House and Senate leaders are continuing to work on fashioning a series of changes to the nearly-complete comprehensive health care bill, which has been stalled since the Massachusetts special Senate election deprived Democrats of the 60th vote they needed to pass the legislation.
With Republican Scott Brown replacing the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the majority party has only 59 senators, one short of the number needed to prevent the GOP from using a filibuster to block the bill. To get around this problem, Democrats would use a special budget procedure known as "reconciliation," which allows certain legislation to pass the Senate by a simple majority of 51 votes.
Though some Senate moderates have expressed concern about using reconciliation to finish work on health care, Pelosi insisted today that Democrats will not abandon the health care bill and that leaders are working intensively on reviving the larger bill.
"We must take whatever time it takes to do it," she said.
The thinking is that the House and Senate would pass a series of agreed-upon changes to the Senate bill under reconciliation, and then the House would pass the Senate bill itself. That approach could reassure House members who are reluctant to vote for the Senate bill for fear that the Senate might later balk at the changes.
Because of the strict rules limiting the content of what can pass under reconciliation to provisions dealing with raising or spending revenue, the whole bill cannot be passed using that procedure. But fixes such as changing taxes raised to pay for the bill -- one of the main points of contention between the House and Senate -- could.
An aide to Pelosi said the series of smaller bills could be unveiled before the mid-February recess.
UPDATE: But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sounded far less urgent about health care when reporters asked him about Pelosi's statements a few minutes ago, saying only that Democrats would have to determine how to best to move the bill forward procedurally. Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, was similarly noncommittal about the hows and whens; he said it was up to Reid to decide.
Liberal groups, advocates call for action on health care in advance of SOTU
By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff
Indications so far are that President Obama is not going to map out a detailed strategy for passing the health care bill in his State of the Union address tonight.
But with the president's erstwhile top domestic priority foundering since Massachusetts voters elected Republican Scott Brown to the Senate last week, denying Democrats the 60th vote they need to pass a final compromise, health care advocates and liberal groups are using the hours before Obama's speech to demand action.
"While many of the provisions of the House bill are preferable to those in the Senate version, we believe that the House of Representatives should step forward and pass the Senate bill," said Mary G. Wilson, president of the League of Women Voters, in a statement issued this afternoon.
The American Cancer Society said cancer patients would gather around the country to watch the State of the Union address: "Cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones are calling on the President to continue to make meaningful health care reform a top national priority," the group said in a release.
The Main Street Alliance, a group of business owners who support the health care legislation, wrote in a letter to the president and Congressional leaders: "This is no time to consider scaling back a reform bill that must make health insurance affordable for businesses and our employees, share the responsibility of improving coverage fairly among individuals, employers, and the government, and reform the health insurance market to keep insurance companies honest."
The liberal activist group MoveOn Political Action, meanwhile, said a survey of its members found that three-quarters won't donate to Democratic candidates in this year's midterm elections if Democrats fail to pass comprehensive health care reform. The group says its members contributed $125 million to Democratic candidates in 2008.
"These surveys are consistent with sentiment we saw coming out of Massachusetts last week—that people are looking for Democrats to fight for real change," said executive director Justin Ruben in a statement. "Right now, that starts with comprehensive health care reform. We’re at a crossroads and if Democrats want to maintain the enthusiasm among donors and volunteers they need to win in 2010, they need to get health care done."
Congressional leaders have been floundering over the last week for a strategy on health care. Every day it seems the message changes -- yesterday Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared that there was "no rush," today House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress should not retreat from the issue.
Kerry wants House to pass Senate health care bill
By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON -- Senator John Kerry said today his preferred route to completing health care reform is for the House to pass the Senate bill, and for the Senate to make it more digestible to the House by approving fixes through the reconciliation process, which allows legislation to pass the Senate by a simple majority instead of 60 votes.
House and Senate leaders believe this is the only realistic route left to passing a comprehensive health care bill this year, now that Massachusetts elected a Republican to fill the seat of the late Edward M. Kennedy, leaving Democrats without the crucial 60th vote they need to prevent a GOP filibuster of the final compromise bill. But it is not clear whether the House will agree to pass the Senate bill.
Kerry said he did not think voters would be angry about using the reconciliation process as long as the fixes remove the "completely egregious items" that were in the bill, such as a special Medicaid deal for Nebraska that was included to get the vote of Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska.
Brown's victory, Kerry said, showed that voters were disturbed by the wheeling and dealing in the days leading up to the Senate vote, and that many people don't understand why certain things were done. He said removing the worst of those items, like Nelson's so-called "Cornhusker Kickback," and a Medicaid deal for Louisiana that has been dubbed "the Louisiana Purchase," would go a long way toward reassuring voters.
Kerry said, however, he would not include the $500 million he helped secure for Massachusetts' Medicaid program on that list of egregious items. That money, he said, was to fairly compensate taxpayers in Massachusetts who have already paid to expand their state's Medicaid program to the limit, and who would not otherwise receive any expansion money that other states would under the legislation.
The key, Kerry said, is to treat all states fairly, and do it up-front so that the public understands it clearly. "I'm not for a single-state fix," he said.
Setting the record straight: media coverage of MA health care plan
By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON _ A media watchdog group today took aim at a Wall Street Journal column that said Republican Scott P. Brown was elected Tuesday in part because Massachusetts voters oppose government-funded health care.
Kim Strassel wrote in yesterday's WSJ that Brown "turned his Senate bid into a referendum on President Obama's health plan" and went on to claim that one reason is that the state's universal health care program "bombed."
"In fact, a recent poll shows that a majority in Massachusetts support the 2006 state plan," the nonprofit Media Matters for America said in an alert earlier today.
"Moreover, Brown had argued during the campaign that since the state already passed health reform, it would not benefit from a national plan," the self-described progressive group said.
The poll it cited was one conducted by the Boston Globe and the Harvard School of Public Health poll in September 2009.
The Globe reported at the time that "[public support for Massachusetts' closely watched health insurance overhaul has slipped over the past year, a new poll indicates, but residents still support the path-breaking 2006 law by a 2-to-1 ratio."
The Globe article added: "Amid a severe recession that has led to cuts in state programs and unrelenting job losses, 59 percent of those surveyed said they favored the state's multi-million dollar insurance initiative, down from 69 percent a year ago.
The September poll also found that "opposition to the law stands at 28 percent, up slightly from 22 percent in a June 2008 survey" and that "only 11 percent of state residents favored repealing the law, similar to last year's finding."
Political Intelligence is awaiting a response from Strassel and hope to get her persepctive soon.
Jess Levin, the group's press secretary, said Media Matters' researchers have found at least one other example of media coverage about Brown that inaccurately depicted the role of Massachusetts' health care program in his surprise victory.
Obama sells benefits of health overhaul
Returning to domestic concerns, President Obama focuses on health care today after talking about jobs on Friday.
In his weekly Internet and radio address, the president says that as the economy recovers, his administration will build a new strong foundation for economic growth.
And besides education reform and investments in clean energy, a key element is fixing the nation's health care system, Obama says. Democrats in Congress are pushing to agree on a final bill that can go to Obama's desk before he delivers his first State of the Union speech next month.
"After a long and thorough debate, we are on the verge of passing health insurance reform that will finally offer Americans the security of knowing they’ll have quality, affordable health care whether they lose their job, change jobs, move, or get sick. The worst practices of the insurance industry will be banned forever. And costs will finally come down for families, businesses, and our government.
He addresses critics who point out that while some higher taxes and fees would start almost immediately after the bill becomes law while many benefits would not. "It’ll take a few years to fully implement these reforms in a responsible way. But what every American should know is that once I sign health insurance reform into law, there are dozens of protections and benefits that will take effect this year," Obama declares.
He goes on to list some of them: no more discrimination against uninsured Americans with a pre-existing illness or condition, young adults will be able to stay on their parents’ policy until they’re 26 or 27 years old, small business owners will get tax credits to help cover their employees, and seniors hit by the so-called donut hole in coverage will receive discounts on their prescriptions.
"In short," Obama says, "once I sign health insurance reform into law, doctors and patients will have more control over their health care decisions, and insurance company bureaucrats will have less. All told, these changes represent the most sweeping reforms and toughest restrictions on insurance companies that this country has ever known. That’s how we’ll make 2010 a healthier and more secure year for every American – for those who have health insurance, and those who don’t."
His full address is below and can be viewed here.
Kerry defends tax on 'Cadillac' health plans
Senator John F. Kerry is aggressively defending the tax on so-called Cadillac health plans that is central to the health care bill passed by the Senate, but opposed by unions and many liberals and not in the House version.
President Obama reportedly told House Democratic leaders on Wednesday that they should accept the tax on the plans with the most generous benefits. And Kerry, who offered the idea of levying an excise tax on insurers that is incorporated in the bill, said today that it is essential to passing health reform.
Addressing fellow Democrats in an opinion piece posted on Huffington Post, the Massachusetts Democrat said that "striking this provision from the final bill will make it much more difficult to pass final health reform legislation in the Senate and that's a huge mistake when we're closer than ever to completing a journey that began with Harry Truman. If passing health care reform was easy, it would've happened decades ago. It's not. It requires tough choices. And it's worth it.
"Second, this is an idea that will help health reform succeed in the long run. It will create competition and place sunshine on the process of pricing health insurance premiums," he added.
"Third, it will help control future health care costs without -- I repeat without -- directly taxing employees. Unlike a cap on the existing tax exclusion of health insurance benefits, which I oppose, this provision will not require employees to include a portion of their employer provided benefits as part of their taxable wages."
UPDATE: Union leaders plan to meet Monday with Obama to lodge their protest against the tax, the Associated Press is reporting this evening.
They say the tax is both bad policy and bad politics -- bad policy because it would be passed along to already struggling workers and bad politics because those workers supported Obama and Democrats and are crucial for the party's prospects in November.
The meeting is expected to include leaders from the AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union, and other labor organizations, the AP said.
C-SPAN complains about private health talks
Democrats' apparent decision to come up with a final health care bill not only behind closed doors but within a very select group of negotiators is drawing criticism not only from expected quarters, but from the media.
Both C-SPAN and House Republicans are reminding President Obama that he once pledged to have the health care negotiations carried on the gavel-to-gavel cable network.
"As your respective chambers work to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate health care bills, C-SPAN requests that you open all important negotiations, including any conference committee meetings, to electronic media coverage," C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb wrote in a letter to Obama and congressional leaders that the network released this morning.
"President Obama, Senate and House leaders, many of your rank-and-file members, and the nation’s editorial pages have all talked about the value of transparent discussions on reforming the nation’s health care system. Now that the process moves to the critical stage of reconciliation between the Chambers, we respectfully request that you allow the public full access, through television, to legislation that will affect the lives of every single American," Lamb added in the Dec. 30 letter.
"We hope you will give serious consideration to this request. We are most willing to employ the latest digital technology to make the cameras, lights and microphones as unobtrusive as possible."
The plan is not to appoint a conference committee of key members of the House and Senate, but to have House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, top White House officials, and a few others try to craft a compromise. That would be a more expeditious route, in hopes of getting a bill to Obama's desk before his first State of the Union speech.
The first of those private meetings is scheduled later today in the Oval Office as Obama huddles with Democratic leaders.
UPDATE: Asked this afternoon about the C-SPAN criticism, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said he had not seen the letter. He didn't answer further.
Obama grassroots army seeks marching orders
President Obama's grassroots group is taking the pulse of its members to decide its priorities for the new year.
Organizing for America, Obama's presidential campaign vehicle now housed within the Democratic National Committee, sent out an online survey today.
David Plouffe, Obama's former campaign manager, told supporters part of the agenda is set, including the crucial mid-term congressional elections in November: "2010 will be a year of new, exciting challenges. We'll be working hard with President Obama to finish the fight for health insurance reform, put more Americans back to work, and get our economy running strong. We'll fight to protect consumers and our economy from Wall Street abuses, improve transparency in Washington to elevate the voices of the American people, and create a vibrant, clean energy economy. And we'll stand up for the President's allies at the ballot box."
The survey, itself, asks how interested people are in health care, jobs, clean energy, financial regulation, and education. It also asks about immigration reform -- an issue that Obama put on the back burner during 2009 but has promised Latino and other groups he will tackle in 2010.
Liberals urge Sanders to hold out for public option
A liberal group is urging Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to stick to his guns, "be a hero," and hold out for a public option government plan in the final version of the health care overhaul.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee said today it is making 10,000 automated phone calls a day to Vermont voters. The calls feature AJ Van Tassel-Sweet of Northfield, who urges voters to call Sanders.
"I supported Senator Bernie Sanders in the past because I thought he would fight for us. But now the Senate is planning to pass a health care bill without the public health insurance option that most Americans support. Instead, it just mandates that people buy insurance from big insurance companies. That's not reform, that's a corporate giveaway. We need a hero right now who will stand up to Joe Lieberman and the insurance industry," Tassel-Sweet says.
The committee also said that it is running online ads in Vermont and other states and has collected more than 40,000 signatures since last week on an online "we need a hero" petition to Sanders.
Sanders, an independent, was one of the 60 votes that Democrats needed to move through the Senate health care bill -- which, unlike the House bill, does not include a public option. He also voted for the bill on final passage Christmas Eve, arguing that it would provide insurance for 31 million Americans, stop insurers from denying care for people with preexisting conditions, and not penalize Vermont and Massachusetts for taking steps to expand coverage on their own. He also noted that he helped secure $10 billion for community health centers.
But he still supports a full public option as a step toward a single-payer system that the political left wants.
"The congratulations that Democrats are giving themselves in Washington DC are not shared by voters across the country who overwhelmingly want a public option and oppose being required to buy insurance from companies that put profit ahead of people's health. Bernie Sanders can be a hero at this historic moment by declaring that any final bill must have a public option to win his support. That would change the entire calculus in House-Senate negotiations and force President Obama to finally fight back against Joe Lieberman's threats," Adam Green, co-founder of the committee, said in a statement.
Obama calls Senate vote 'historic'
His full statement, delivered at the White House:
"Good morning, everybody. In a historic vote that took place this morning members of the Senate joined their colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass a landmark health insurance reform package -- legislation that brings us toward the end of a nearly century-long struggle to reform America’s health care system.
"Ever since Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform in 1912, seven Presidents -- Democrats and Republicans alike -- have taken up the cause of reform. Time and time again, such efforts have been blocked by special interest lobbyists who’ve perpetuated a status quo that works better for the insurance industry than it does for the American people. But with passage of reform bills in both the House and the Senate, we are now finally poised to deliver on the promise of real, meaningful health insurance reform that will bring additional security and stability to the American people.
"The reform bill that passed the Senate this morning, like the House bill, includes the toughest measures ever taken to hold the insurance industry accountable. Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny you coverage on the basis of a preexisting condition. They will no longer be able to drop your coverage when you get sick. No longer will you have to pay unlimited amounts out of your own pocket for the treatments you need. And you’ll be able to appeal unfair decisions by insurance companies to an independent party.
"If this legislation becomes law, workers won’t have to worry about losing coverage if they lose or change jobs. Families will save on their premiums. Businesses that would see their costs rise if we do not act will save money now, and they will save money in the future. This bill will strengthen Medicare, and extend the life of the program. It will make coverage affordable for over 30 million Americans who do not have it -- 30 million Americans. And because it is paid for and curbs the waste and inefficiency in our health care system, this bill will help reduce our deficit by as much as $1.3 trillion in the coming decades, making it the largest deficit reduction plan in over a decade.
"As I’ve said before, these are not small reforms; these are big reforms. If passed, this will be the most important piece of social policy since the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the most important reform of our health care system since Medicare passed in the 1960s. And what makes it so important is not just its cost savings or its deficit reductions. It’s the impact reform will have on Americans who no longer have to go without a checkup or prescriptions that they need because they can’t afford them; on families who no longer have to worry that a single illness will send them into financial ruin; and on businesses that will no longer face exorbitant insurance rates that hamper their competitiveness. It’s the difference reform will make in the lives of the American people.
"I want to commend Senator Harry Reid, extraordinary work that he did; Speaker Pelosi for her extraordinary leadership and dedication. Having passed reform bills in both the House and the Senate, we now have to take up the last and most important step and reach an agreement on a final reform bill that I can sign into law. And I look forward to working with members of Congress in both chambers over the coming weeks to do exactly that.
"With today’s vote, we are now incredibly close to making health insurance reform a reality in this country. Our challenge, then, is to finish the job. We can't doom another generation of Americans to soaring costs and eroding coverage and exploding deficits. Instead we need to do what we were sent here to do and improve the lives of the people we serve. For the sake of our citizens, our economy, and our future, let’s make 2010 the year we finally reform health care in the United States of America.
"Everybody, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year."
UPDATE: Obama also called Vicki Kennedy, the widow of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, after the bill's passage, the White House said.
He also called key senators and David Turner of Little Rock, Ark. Turner, who had his health insurance rescinded in January 2008, was the First Lady’s guest at Obama's health care address to the joint session of Congress in September.
"The president told Mr. Turner that stories like his motivate him every day to keep working on health insurance reform, and he assured Mr. Turner that he will continue to work to pass health legislation to ban rescission and other abusive practices," the White House said.
UPDATE: Obama also sent a message this afternoon to share "some exciting news" to his grassroots army, now under Organizing for America at the Democratic National Committee. He also asked for their help getting the bill over the finish line.
"Although it's Christmas Eve, I wanted to share some exciting news: The Senate just passed a historic health reform bill," he said in an email.
"In all the back and forth, it's easy to lose sight of what this incredible breakthrough really means. But consider this: This Christmas, there are millions of Americans without health insurance who risk losing everything if they get sick. There are mothers and fathers who wonder how they'll provide for their children because an illness has wiped out their savings. There are small business owners who worry that they'll have to lay off a long-time employee because the cost of insurance is rapidly rising.
"If we finish the job, all this can change. We will have beaten back the special interests who have for so long perpetuated the status quo. We will have enacted the most important piece of social policy since the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the most important health reform since Medicare in the 1960s.
"In Decembers to come, millions more will have access to affordable coverage. Parents will have the security and stability of knowing their insurance can't be revoked at a moment's notice. And the skyrocketing costs plaguing our small businesses will be brought under control. When you make calls, write letters, organize, this is the change you're making -- a better life for your family and for men and women in every state.
"There is still more to do before I can sign reform into law -- a last round of negotiations and final votes in the Senate and the House -- and I'm counting on your help every step of the way. But for now, I hope that as you celebrate this holiday season, you remember that the work you are doing is making our union more perfect, one step at a time. For that, I am grateful to you."
Reaction from across political spectrum to health vote
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List, said that the bill does not include enough limits on abortion coverage:
"On Christmas Eve, the U.S. Senate gave Americans a gift no one wants: abortion for all, at taxpayer-expense. Even more tragic, they can thank self-described ‘pro-life’ senators like Ben Nelson, Bob Casey, Jr., and Harry Reid for paving the way for legislation that will open the floodgates for the greatest expansion of government-backed abortion since Roe v. Wade.
"Today’s vote was a career-affecting vote. The senators who voted to advance this legislation should consider themselves on notice. Votes have consequences, and the Susan B. Anthony List will use all the resources at our disposal to educate their constituents about today’s result. As this debate moves forward, pro-life House members would do well to consider the impact of their own votes. Abortion is never good for women, and it should never be a legitimate aspect of any ‘health care’ debate.
"If this bill is signed into law, for the first time, federally funded and managed health care plans will cover elective abortions. Pro-life Americans in states that choose to ‘opt-out’ of abortion coverage will still be forced to foot the bill for abortions in California and New York.
"This is not ‘compromise’ or ‘middle ground.’ The only ones who support the senate abortion language are a handful of senators so far-removed from the consciences of their own constituents that it’s laughable. Discussions of ‘different accounts’ and ‘separate checks’ are just a smokescreen.
"This bill is a betrayal of conscience for millions of Americans. And it is a betrayal of the principles proclaimed by Reid, Nelson, and Casey. Today’s vote is exactly the type of ‘leadership’ that repels the American electorate. Americans are hungry for authenticity. They are hungry for leaders whose actions follow their principles, for stalwart representatives who will never abandon their convictions for a sweet deal. Unfortunately, on Christmas Eve 2009, as a result of that lack of real leadership, Americans received the gift of abortion in the name of ‘health care reform.’
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said he preferred the House bill, largely because the Senate bill would tax the most generous health plans -- ones that union members have bargained for in place of pay hikes.
"In the face of inexcusable partisanship, obstruction and gamesmanship, it is remarkable that Majority Leader Reid was able to move a health care bill through the United States Senate. Not since the passage of Medicare 44 years ago have we seen Republican scare tactics so blatantly contrary to the interests of the American people.
"At this historic moment, it is so important to the future of working Americans—and to our country—to get health care reform right. Despite doing some good things, the Senate bill remains inadequate. Substantial changes must be made in the final bill. Genuine reform must bring down health costs, hold insurance companies accountable, assure that all Americans can get the health care they need and be financed fairly. That’s why we have been steadfast in support of a public health insurance option. It is the way to break the stranglehold of the insurance industry that has led to skyrocketing health care costs that have especially penalized small business.
"Employers must pay their fair share. It makes no sense to tax the benefits of hard-working Americans to pay for health reform. The House bill curbs insurance companies and taxes the wealthy who benefited so richly from the Bush tax cuts. The Senate bill instead includes exorbitant new taxes on middle class health benefits that would affect one in five workers with employer-provided health coverage—or about 31 million people—in 2016. That’s the wrong way to pay for health care reform and it’s political suicide."
"The House bill is the right model for reform. It covers more people, takes effect more quickly and is financed more fairly. The AFL-CIO is ready to fight on behalf of all working families to produce a final bill that can be called genuine reform. Working people cannot accept anything less."
Tom McMahon, acting executive director of the liberal-labor coalition Americans United for Change, said that improvements are needed to the bill in the House-Senate negotiations:
“Today we are one another step closer to guaranteeing quality, affordable health care for all Americans. There is still a great deal of work to be done to ensure the best possible bill reaches President Obama’s desk. But when historians look back on this moment – and they will – it will mark a turning point in our long struggle to build a health care system Americans deserve. It may also leave a remarkable and indelible imprint on the Republican Party, whose decision to put political posturing before the needs of millions of Americans will tarnish the reputation of the GOP for years to come.
“Under the Senate bill, more than 30 million people will gain health coverage. The Medicare program will be stronger and the federal deficit smaller. People with pre-existing health conditions won’t be rejected or charged higher premiums by insurers, and women will no longer have to pay more than men for the same coverage. Seniors will have expanded prescription drug coverage and young adults will have easy access to health insurance. Americans from every corner of the country will have a reason to be thankful for the Senate’s action today.”
James Rohack, president of the American Medical Association, continued to offer his group's significant support:
“Today, the Senate took an historic vote to improve our nation’s health care system by expanding coverage to millions of Americans and strengthening the private insurance market to better serve the patients who rely on it. The AMA supported passage of the bill because it contains a number of key improvements for our health care system, which currently is not working for far too many patients or the physicians who dedicate their lives to patient care.
“The Senate bill will improve choice and access to affordable health insurance coverage and eliminate denials based on pre-existing conditions. It will increase coverage for preventive and wellness care that can lead to better disease prevention and management, and further the development of comparative effectiveness research that can help patients and physicians make informed treatment decisions. Patients will no longer face lifetime limits on health coverage or higher premiums based on medical conditions or gender.
“While this vote closes one chapter of the legislative process, the hard work is not yet done. The AMA will stay constructively engaged throughout the House and Senate conference process to continue to improve the final bill and assure the best outcome for patients and physicians. Important issues that need to be resolved in the House-Senate conference committee include the scope, authority, accountability and transparency of a payment advisory board. The details of several cost control and quality improvement initiatives also need to be refined so that they do not have unintended consequences for patients and physicians.
“Separate action is needed early next year to permanently repeal the current Medicare physician payment formula to preserve access to care for America’s seniors, baby boomers and military families by creating a stable physician payment system. We commend Senators Reid and Baucus for keeping the focus on a permanent solution to this problem, and we will continue to work closely with them to fix the flawed Medicare physician payment formula once and for all early in the new year.”
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele continued his assault on the bill:
“This morning, as millions of Americans prepared to gather with their families in celebration of Christmas, President Obama and Harry Reid gathered with their liberal allies in celebration of government. Mr. Reid and company honored President Obama’s Christmas wish for increased federal control and passed their government-run health care experiment out of the Senate.
"Immediately following this vote, in a telling and strangely ironic legislative move, the Democrats voted to increase America’s credit card limit because even they know their deficit reduction claims are false. If they were truly proud of this so-called ‘historic’ legislation then they should have stood by their pledge and allowed Senators and the American people 72 hours to read the full legislative text prior to voting instead of secretly rushing it through on Christmas Eve. In fact, most Democrats aren’t proud of this legislation and only voted for it after months of closed door meetings, back room deal making, and political compromise with Harry Reid and the White House. The Democrats have put a $2.5 trillion lump of coal in the stocking of every American knowing that their risky health care experiment still increases premiums, still cuts Medicare, and still enacts hundreds of billions of new taxes to pay for it. Scrooge would be proud. I know a majority of Americans are not. As we move forward, America can look forward to watching Nancy Pelosi conduct the arm-twisting needed to convince her most liberal colleagues that the Senate version is the best Trojan horse possible to hide a true single payer system, which is what this debate has always been about. This Christmas, the Democrats and President Obama have given America the one gift that keeps on taking.”
AARP CEO A. Barry Rand and Massachusetts State Director Deborah Banda praised the vote, but said the final bill needs to do more to close the so-called doughnut hole in Medicare drug coverage:
“This morning the Senate brought us closer to meaningful health care reform than we have ever been before. Passage of the Senate health care reform bill clears the way for Congress to enact legislation in the coming weeks that will protect and strengthen Medicare, ensure millions more Americans can get affordable health coverage and sharply curtail discriminatory insurance company practices that keep those most in need out of the system," Rand said in a statement.
“The bill passed by the Senate makes needed progress to prevent coverage denials due to health status and limit insurance companies from charging older Americans much more for coverage because of their age. It also begins to close the dangerous gap in Medicare drug coverage known as the doughnut hole, and Senate leaders have committed that a final bill will close the gap entirely by 2019, in keeping with the President’s pledge. In addition, the Senate bill adds important new Medicare benefits, like free preventive care, and encourages states to provide more home and community-based long-term care services and supports instead of costlier institutional care.
Banda added:
“AARP thanks the Senate for passing health care reform that protects guaranteed Medicare benefits and helps ensure older Americans can afford quality health services. The legislation is needed to lower drug costs, limit age discrimination by health insurance companies and strengthen long-term care.
“We believe this legislation can be improved even further, especially when it comes to the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap, called the doughnut hole. More then 300,000 Bay State seniors will likely fall into the Medicare doughnut hole next year, costing each up to $3,610 in added health care costs. Both the House and Senate versions of the health reform bill will bring them some immediate relief by narrowing the coverage gap. But some relief isn't enough. We urge the members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation to pass a final health reform bill that closes the dreaded doughnut hole completely over time – so seniors can afford to take the medicine that keeps them healthy and out of more expensive care.”
Kennedy invoked on cusp of health care bill passage
"We're all saddened and cognizant that the real author of this bill is not with us," Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, who praised a longtime Kennedy staff director Michael Myers.
Democrats deserve praise for turning a blank piece of paper into legislation that would make real Kennedy's dream of health care reform, added Senator Christopher Dodd, a close friend and colleague of the late senator.
"We will always, always remember this day," Dodd said at a news conference.
He also used his time to hit back at Republicans, who said would be judged harshly by history for being obstructionists to a significant bill.
President says he'll wait for health care passage
He had planned to go to Hawaii for the holidays, but said today that he'll stay until the Senate finishes its votes on health care.
"I will not leave until my friends in the Senate have completed their work. My attitude is if they are making these sacrifices to provide health care to all Americans, the least I can do is be around and provide them any encouragement and last-minute help," Obama told reporters.
UPDATE: After Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP Leader Mitch McConnell announced that the final vote would be at 8 a.m. Thursday instead of as late as Christmas Eve night, the White House said Obama would leave Thursday morning.
With Republicans so far insisting on the every detail of the parliamentary procedures, the Senate took another key vote early this morning and has another today, and two more on Wednesday before final passage Thursday night.
Kerry says health bill would help Mass.
Senator John F. Kerry returned in between votes to Massachusetts today to declare that the bill the Senate is about to pass would reward, rather than penalize, the state for leading by passing its own health reform in 2006.
"We are on the verge of passing health insurance reform legislation that will put patients ahead of profits and will protect rather than penalize Massachusetts for already having led the nation in reform. The Majority Leader has agreed to include a provision that will provide Massachusetts with additional federal funds for Medicaid for the next three calendar years -- roughly $500 million -- that's half a billion dollars more than we otherwise would have had. And our congressional delegation has worked closely with Senator Reid to make sure Massachusetts' reforms are not only protected, but are enhanced," Kerry said during a visit to Children's Hospital Boston.
Since Massachusetts passed its bill in 2006, requiring individuals to get health insurance, more than 400,000 residents have been added to the insured rolls, giving the state the lowest rate of uninsured at 2.7 percent. Several elements of the Massachusetts law have been incorporated into the bills working their way through Congress.
Kerry's full prepared remarks are below:
AMA backs Senate health bill
"All Americans deserve affordable, high-quality health coverage so they can get the medical care they need – and this bill advances many of our priority issues for achieving the vision of a health system that works for patients and physicians," said AMA President-elect Cecil B. Wilson, who appeared with top Democrats at a Capitol Hill news conference.
He highlighted the bill's provisions that guarantee coverage for pre-existing conditions, better coverage for preventive and wellness care, and research on the comparative effectiveness of different treatments.
"Lifetime limits on health coverage will be a thing of the past -- as will higher premiums based on medical conditions or gender," Wilson said in a statement. "These are important benefits for those who have insurance now – and those who want it but have been unable to get it."
The AMA said it is pleased that the latest version of the bill increases payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons in underserved areas while no longer cutting payments to other physicians; eliminates the tax on physician services for cosmetic surgery; and drops the proposed physician enrollment fee for Medicare.
The doctors group also wants a separate bill to permanently repeal the current Medicare physician payment formula.
Uptick in support for health bill, Obama
In the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey, 42 percent now back the Senate bill, up from 36 percent two weeks ago, though 56 percent of Americans still oppose the measure.
Meantime, Obama's job approval rating is back above 50 percent, at 54 percent, up from 48 percent two weeks ago.
But the poll also found disenchantment with the president. While 39 percent said he had met and 11 percent said he had exceeded their expectations, that's down from 52 percent and 17 percent, respectively, in mid-May. Also, only 52 percent said they believe Obama's policies will succeed, down from 64 percent in March.
The new survey, conducted Wednesday through Sunday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Obama praises latest Senate health vote
With exactly the 60 votes required, the Senate voted at 1 a.m. today to stop a threatened Republican filibuster, the latest in a series of procedural votes leading up to a final Senate vote scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday.
As Vicki Kennedy, the late senator's widow, watched from the gallery, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa declared that "today we are closer than we've ever been to making Senator Ted Kennedy's dream of universal health insurance coverage a reality."
In brief remarks, Obama this morning said the bill would give families more health care security by guaranteeing that pre-existing conditions will be covered and limiting out-of-pocket costs. The bill, he argued, encompasses a so-called "Patient's bill of rights" that never passed Congress.
Small businesses will also benefit, the president said. And critics' arguments that the bill represents a huge increase in government spending do not "hold water," he said, citing projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that the bill, while costing $871 billion over the next decade, would eventually bring down federal deficits.
(His full remarks are below.)
Republicans, however, call that CBO report a "fig leaf" for a dangerous government expansion in health care. "While they claim victory, the American people will be faced with higher taxes, increased premiums, and cuts to Medicare," Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement. "They are ramming this government-run health care program through Congress - when Americans don't want it, and our country can't afford it."
FULL ENTRY
Senate rejects stricter abortion rules
As expected, the Senate this afternoon rejected a move to tighten the abortion restrictions in the health care overhaul.
Senator Ben Nelson, a key moderate Democrat from Nebraska, had proposed a provision similar to one that is in the House-passed bill, which would ban coverage for abortions under any insurance plan -- public or private -- that accepts federal subsidies.
But Senate liberals rallied against the amendment, saying it would be unfair to women and represent a rollback in abortion rights.
In the 54-45 vote against the Nelson amendment, seven Democrats joined most Republicans in voting for it, while two Republicans -- Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine -- voted with the Democrats.
“This vote is a positive step towards ensuring health care reform legislation moves forward without making women worse off after this process,” Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards said in a statement.
"The Senate did the right thing today by refusing to adopt an amendment that would prevent women from using their own funds to purchase abortion coverage," added Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-President of the National Women's Law Center.
“The National Women’s Law Center is working hard to ensure that health care reform is finally passed that works for all Americans – women included. To protect women’s health and their rights, it is essential that health care reform be enacted without the egregious restrictions on women’s ability to pay for needed abortion coverage with their own money.”
The abortion dispute, however, could fatally complicate efforts to cobble together 60 votes to pass the final version of the health care bill in the Senate, and if a bill is approved, have to be resolved in negotiations with the House.
Steele demands apology, delay on health care
The Republican Party's national chairman repeated his demand today that the top Senate Democrat apologize for comparing those obstructing health care reform to those who counseled a go-slow approach on freeing the slaves and giving women the right to vote.
But then again, GOP Chairman Michael Steele also sent a letter directly to President Obama urging him to put off the health care overhaul and focus on jobs and the economy.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid chided Republicans in a Senate floor speech on Monday. "Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all Republicans have come up with is this slow down, stop everything, let's start over," he said, then citing those who advised patience on emancipation and women's suffrage.
On CBS's "The Early Show" today, Steele called the remarks "an ignorant moment for Harry Reid" and said that when Democrats get in trouble, "they play that race card, that slavery card, that civil rights card."
UPDATE: Reid stood by his comments, telling reporters today, "Anyone who willingly distorts my comments is only proving my point."
Steele, the Republican National Committee's first black chairman, has been among the loudest voices calling for a go-slow approach on health care, which Reid is trying to push through the Senate before the holiday break.
Steele echoed his call in the letter today to the president.
"Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, all of us can agree on this: In this uncertain economy, growth and jobs have to be our priorities," Steele wrote. "The American people think of little else. Common sense tells us this is the worst possible moment for Congress to risk spending another trillion dollars we don't have.
"This is not the time to gamble a trillion dollars on a 2,000 page health care experiment Congress is stitching together by the seat of its pants," he added. "Washington's rescue efforts have already burdened our economy with the costs of huge bailouts and government takeovers. When Americans look for relief, they see record debt and deficits. If Americans are still looking for full-time work and employers are still shutting their doors next spring, Democrats and Republicans are going to wish they had that trillion dollars back to create jobs."
(The full letter is below.)
UPDATE: Brad Woodhouse, Democratic National Committee communications director, slapped back at Steele.
"Michael Steele and the GOP know full well that health care delayed is health care denied for the millions of Americans who lack insurance and live every day in fear of accident or illness. But, it’s also jobs denied for the millions of Americans who work for businesses, small and large, who have been forced to make cut backs or who have collapsed altogether under the burden of sky-rocketing insurance costs. It’s lost wages for the millions of American workers whose employers have to choose between providing health care or offering a raise. And, it’s money out of the pocket of every American family faced with rising co-pays and prescription drug costs," Woodhouse said in a statement.
"It doesn’t take an economics degree to understand that reforming our broken health insurance system is inextricability linked to our nation’s fiscal health and jobs - though most economists have said just that. Michael Steele and the Party of NO have been rooting for health reform to fail for months now. By ignoring all that American businesses stand to gain from health insurance reform, the Republicans are now rooting for our economy to fail. What will they do next?"
FULL ENTRYKirk weighs in on health care
Senator Paul G. Kirk Jr. of Massachusetts, along with 10 other first-term Democrats, is offering a package of amendments to the health care overhaul bill that are designed to encourage innovation and affordability.
UPDATE: “The health reform legislation now being considered by the Senate makes great strides in beginning to fix what is fundamentally broken in our present health care system -- but we believe that we can go even further,” the senators said in a joint statement today. “Our amendments encourage a broader, quicker shift toward a more innovative 21st Century health care system. Our goal is a health care system that is more efficient and affordable for consumers, and one which will hold health care providers and insurers more accountable.”
The amendments establish public-private arrangements to synchronize changes and prevent cost-shifting; reduce red tape and contain strong anti-fraud provisions; and strengthen the role of Medicare.
Kirk's floor speech and more detail on the amendments are below.
The amendments immediately drew praise from the AFL-CIO, the largest labor federation.
"We commend the package of amendments freshman Senators have developed that would strengthen the cost containment provisions of health reform legislation. These senators have their eyes on what’s most important to all Americans - affordable, high quality health care that will be there when we need it. We must transform our current health care system into one that rewards value -- constraining cost growth without compromising care," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement.
"A number of the amendments announced today would, individually, represent significant steps forward from the current draft Senate legislation. Taken together, however, they amount to a robust expansion of critically important provisions in the legislation," he added.
"But these measures alone will not fix a broken health care system. We need a strong public health insurance option to keep insurance companies honest and fair financing -- with employers shouldering their responsibility and no new taxes on health benefits."
Democrats: GOP lying like a rug on health care
The Democratic National Committee this afternoon released a new web ad that accuses Senate Republicans of making more than 100 misleading or false claims -- and counting -- in 11 days of floor debate.
The spot shows one GOP senator after another complaining that the Democratic bill would mean a government takeover of health care and would mean huge Medicare cuts. Some of the specific points within those broader proposals are subject to debate.
"Is there anything that will keep them from misleading the American public on health care?" the announcer asks, before Republican senators are show saying, "No."
Reid compares health care delay to slavery, suffrage
Top Senate Democrat Harry Reid, frustrated with Republican intransigence on the health care overhaul, went as far today to compare the strategy of stall and scuttle to past efforts to stop women's suffrage and keep slavery alive.
And that analogy is raising eyebrows and hackles on Capitol Hill and beyond.
"Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all Republicans have come up with is this slow down, stop everything, let's start over," said Reid. "You think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right. When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said, 'Slow down, it's too early. Let's wait. Things aren't bad enough.' When women spoke up for the right to speak up, they wanted to vote, some insisted, 'Slow down, there will be a better day to do that. The day isn't quite right,' " Reid said on the Senate floor.
"When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone, regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats that we hear today," he continued. "History is repeating itself before our eyes. There are now those who don't think it is the right time to reform health care. If not now, when, madam president? But the reality for many that feel that way, it will never, never be a good time to reform health care."
That brought this broadside from, among others, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele.
“Today Harry Reid wandered far out of bounds with his absurd and offensive comments. Reid has now compared his quest to pass the Obama-Pelosi government takeover of health care to the effort to end slavery. This is inexcusable, deeply insulting and an arrogant abuse of the Democrat party's unchecked power in Congress. This is an elected official saying anything, doing anything, running roughshod over any citizen who opposes his left-wing effort to jam big-government run health care down our throats," Steele, who happens to be the first black GOP national chairman, said in a statement.
“Harry Reid is under immense pressure to pass this 2,000 page experiment on our nation’s health – an experiment that creates a new $1 trillion dollar federal entitlement program by cutting $500 billion from Medicare, all at a time when our country is in miserable debt and facing an extreme job crisis. The pressure has apparently led Senator Reid not only to make offensive and absurd statements, but also to lose his ability to reason.
“To suggest that passing this horrible bill is anything akin to ridding our country of slavery is terribly offensive and calls into question Mr. Reid’s suitability to lead. Having made this disgraceful statement on the floor of the United States Senate, Mr. Reid should immediately apologize on the Senate floor to his colleagues, to his constituents, and to the American people. If he is going to stand by these statements, the Democrats must immediately reconsider his fitness to lead them.”
Liberal group slams Lieberman
A liberal group is targeting Senator Joe Lieberman, the Connecticut independent who is holding out on health care, with a new tongue-in-cheek ad that accuses him of looking out for himself, not his constituents.
Lieberman has threatened to go along with a Republican filibuster to stop the Democratic bill if it includes a public option -- a government-run plan to compete with private insurers.
Unlike proponents who say it would help reduce costs, Lieberman and other foes oppose more government control of health care. Lieberman's critics also say he is carrying water for big health insurers that are based in Connecticut and who have been generous campaign contributors.
"It's not about you, it's all about Joe," the chairman of the fake "Connecticut for Lieberman Party" says.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee said this morning that the ad will air this week in Washington and Connecticut.
"Joe Lieberman promised Connecticut voters in 2006 that he would support core Democratic issues like health care reform. This tongue-in-cheek ad holds Lieberman accountable for putting his own ego ahead of the overwhelming will of Connecticut voters who demand a public health insurance option," the committee's co-founder, Adam Green, said in a statement.
Kirk pushes health care program championed by Kennedy
Continuing to carry the mantle of his mentor, Senator Paul G. Kirk Jr. took to the Senate floor today to speak up for a program -- part of the proposed Senate health care bill -- to help the disabled to stay in their homes.
The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, championed by the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, would create a voluntary, self-funded insurance program that enables people who have disabilities to receive benefits for the care they need the most.
“Sadly, millions of seniors and persons living with disabilities struggle to obtain the services and supports they need to live fulfilling lives and to remain in their communities among their friends and families – in what they hoped would be their productive ‘golden years.’As Senator Kennedy understood, it is morally wrong for so many disabled men and women who need assistance to be forced to face these heart-breaking choices,” Kirk told his colleagues.
UPDATE: The Senate voted late this afternoon to keep the program in the bill. Republicans gathered 51 votes to kill the proposal, but they needed 60 votes to prevail, the Associated Press reports.
Kirk's full prepared remarks are below, followed by a summary of the program:
Labor lobbies against Senate health tax
The nation's largest labor federation announced this afternoon that it will start airing TV ads this weekend urging the Senate to jettison the current bill's main way to finance a huge expansion in coverage: a tax on the insurance plans with the most generous benefits.
While supporters say that the excise tax on insurers would not only pay for covering the uninsured but would also help drive down health care costs, labor leaders say it would be unfair to workers, who have given up pay raises in recent years in return for better health care benefits.
“Pass health care. Don’t tax benefits,” workers say in the ad, which will run in Washington starting Sunday then in key states to be announced on Monday.
The AFL-CIO, a powerful ally of President Obama and Democrats, also point to a study that says a tax on health benefits like the one included in the Senate health care bill would cause two-thirds of employers to shift the costs to workers by raising premiums and co-pays.
Senate passes mammogram provision
Four days into its formal debate on the sweeping health care bill, the Senate took its first vote this afternoon, passing an amendment that protects coverage of mammograms and other screening tests for women.
Mammograms became a big issue after an advisory panel appeared to say that women under 50 did not need them and should not have them. Republicans immediately seized on the recommendation, saying it was a sign of the health rationing to come under the Democratic bill.
But the panel later said it had mishandled the communication, its leaders testifying at a congressional hearing on Wednesday that women in their 40s should start mammograms when they want, in consultation with their doctors.
The amendment from Senator Barbara Mikulski, a Maryland Democrat, and Olympia Snowe, a Maine Republican, would authorize the Health and Human Services secretary to require insurers to cover preventive health screenings free of charge. The Congressional Budget Office said the amendment would add $940 million over a decade to the cost of the bill, already nearing $1 trillion.
The amendment passed 61-39, with one vote more than needed. Senator Judd Gregg, a New Hampshire Republican, was the only New England lawmaker to vote against the amendment.
Several women's groups hailed the amendment's passage. “More than 90 percent of the care Planned Parenthood affiliate health centers provide is primary and preventive, and the doctors and nurses who deliver that care witness on a daily basis the real need to ensure that women have access to critical tests, screenings, and regular check-ups. That’s because preventive health care is life-saving health care,” Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards said in a statement. “Women of childbearing age spend 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men, in part because of reproductive health-related needs. It is time that women’s health is made a priority, and providing affordable access to essential care is key. We applaud Senator Mikulski and her colleagues for working to make sure that women are better off under health care reform.”
Patrick Kennedy holds his fire
By David Abel, Globe Staff
PROVIDENCE -- In his first news conference since his war of words with the Catholic bishop of Rhode Island, US Representative Patrick J. Kennedy declined to address the controversy today at a health care forum.
“These are personal issues of faith for me,” he said after the forum at Brown University. “I’m not going to indulge in this debate anymore. It’s really for me about what my constituents are most interested in now, and that is getting a health care bill passed that helps improve their lives.”
Earlier this month, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin said he was disappointed that Kennedy had revealed to the Providence Journal that the congressman had been forbidden from receiving communion in Rhode Island because of Kennedy's support of abortion rights. The bishop also said Kennedy, the son of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. had prolonged their public feud.
The bishop told reporters he wrote to Kennedy on Feb. 21, 2007, but intended it to remain confidential because it "sought to provide solely for his spiritual well-being."
After today's forum, Kennedy stuck to the comments he made during the gathering, about the importance of expanding access to health care and reducing the costs of the system. Police removed one person from the audience after he heckled the congressman about his pro-choice position.
“Outside of the one outburst, everyone was most interested in the issues that affect everybody, and the issues that haven’t gotten near the kinds of coverage that this one issue has,” he said. “I think at the end of the day the American people are exhausted by the debate by the extremes. They want to know about what meets their needs and addresses their issues and concerns about quality and coverage, and that at the end of the day affects most people.”
Americans against health bill
Americans remain inclined against the health care overhaul in Congress as debate began on the Senate floor today.
The USA Today/Gallup poll released today found 49 percent saying they would tell their representative to vote against the bill and 44 percent saying they would urge a yes vote. That's about the same split as in the survey earlier this month, but a change from 51 percent support and 41 percent disapproval in October.
While Republicans are predictably opposed and Democrats in favor, the big change is among political independents.
Gallup says: "Republicans are overwhelmingly opposed to new healthcare legislation -- 86% would advise their member of Congress to vote against it, while 12% would want their member to support it. Democrats, on the other hand, favor it by a 76% to 17% margin. Independents oppose passage of a bill by 53% to 37%. Support among all three party groups has declined since the early October high -- falling by 6 points among Democrats, 8 among independents, and 12 among Republicans."
Since then, the House narrowly passed its version of the legislation, with only one Republican in support, and the Senate barely mustered enough votes to advance debate. It's unclear whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid can cobble together 60 votes again to pass a bill -- and it appears very doubtful that Congress will accede to President Obama's goal to have a bill on his desk by the end of the year.
Not that the White House is giving up. It posted a new video today in which Vice President Joe Biden urges Americans to back the plan.
"Do you trust the defenders of the status quo -- the people who say you’d be better off if you left things the way they are? Or would you rather hear from the folks who actually know something about what’s happening in the health care system, because they work in it every day?" Biden asks.
UPDATE: On the other side, Conservatives for Patients Rights launched a new ad against the public insurance option, aiming at 14 moderate senators, including Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine and Independent Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.
"These individual senators hold the key to the fate of the public option," Rick Scott, chairman of Conservatives for Patients' Rights and a former health insurance executive, said in a statement. "They will decide whether America follows in the footsteps of Britain and Canada with government-run health care, or whether we reject those failed systems and focus on what Americans really want - lower health care costs. Given the news out of Britain, it's clear that government-run health care is doomed to fail."
Abortion rights groups step up lobbying
Abortion rights groups today announced a lobbying campaign to strip restrictions out of the health care legislation in Congress.
They plan a national week of action next week, including a lobbying day in Washington on Dec. 2, to stop the provision, sponsored by Representative Bart Stupak, in the bill that the House passed this month that would not only ban a government-run public plan from covering elective abortion services, but would also ban any private insurer accepting federal subsidies from doing so. The bill being considered by the Senate includes a less restrictive provision.
Supporters of the Stupak provision say it would guarantee that current law barring the use of taxpayers money for abortion would stay in place during a health overhaul, but abortion rights groups say it would go much further, stopping women from using their own money for elective abortions.
"The Stupak amendment is a radical proposal that upends current law on abortion coverage in the United States," the Coalition to Pass Health Care Reform and Stop Stupak said in a statement. "It goes far beyond the Hyde amendment, which has unfairly prohibited the use of federal funds for abortion in most cases for more than 30 years. The Stupak amendment goes beyond Hyde because it would restrict abortion coverage by private health insurance plans in an unprecedented and dangerous manner."
The list of coalition members is below:
FULL ENTRYGOP slams key Democrats
The partisan posturing continues apace from Saturday night, when Senate Democrats barely rounded up enough votes to open formal debate on the health care overhaul.
Three moderates -- Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska -- were the last holdouts to get Democrats to the magic 60 votes. And it took quite a bit of arm-twisting -- and even then all three made clear they're not on board to vote for the current legislation.
In Landrieu's case, she won provisions that would funnel millions of dollars to her state, a form of legislative extortion Capitol Hill wags are calling the "Louisiana Purchase."
To Republicans, the three Democrats and others violated their principles and sold out their constituents -- and the GOP tries to make the point in a new web video that assigns all sorts of nefarious motives.
“On Saturday night, a number of moderate Senate Democrats sacrificed their principles to bring America dangerously closer to government-run health care," Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele said in a statement. "Ben Nelson sold out his conscience and voted in favor of federally funded abortions. Blanche Lincoln sold out her principles by voting in favor of a government-run insurance plan, something she previously said she opposed. And Mary Landrieu simply sold her vote to the highest bidder after Harry Reid added a $300 million earmark just for Louisiana. Voters elected these Senators to represent their best interests. Instead they voted in the dead of night for a health care experiment that will increase taxes, raise premiums, cut Medicare, and use taxpayer dollars to fund abortion. This is not the representation Americans deserve. It’s time for these senators to take a long hard look in the mirror and ask themselves who they really work for – their constituents or liberal Democrats like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.”
The video says that Democrats acted in the "dead of night," but that's not actually true. The vote came at about 8 p.m. Saturday. That accusation would have been more appropriate for the House vote on health care on Nov. 7, which came after 11 p.m.
Obama group targets Palin on health care
President Obama's grassroots organization is targeting Sarah Palin by name, showing how large a public figure she has become and hinting perhaps that it sees her as a potential rival in 2012.
Organizing for America sent an email to supporters this morning seeking to raise $500,000 to counter Palin's criticisms of Obama's health care plan. The former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee has drawn huge audiences for her TV appearances on her media blitz accompanying the nationwide tour for her best-selling memoir.
Earlier this fall, she was the one who popularized the contention -- later debunked -- that the Democratic health care bills would create panels of bureaucrats who would decide end-of-life care.
"Right now, Sarah Palin is on a highly publicized, nationwide book tour, attacking President Obama and his plan for health reform at every turn," national director Mitch Stewart wrote.
"It's dangerous. Remember, this is the person who coined the term "Death Panels" -- and opened the flood gates for months of false attacks by special interests and partisan extremists. Whatever lie comes next will be widely covered by the media, then constantly echoed by right-wing attack groups and others who are trying to defeat reform."
Kennedy's legacy on health bill
The late Senator Edward M. Kennedy's legacy goes on and on in the health care debate.
The legislation that top Senate Democrat Harry Reid unveiled Wednesday night includes a bill that Kennedy had championed for years. Known as the CLASS (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports) Act, it would give the elderly at least $50 a day for long term care and allow them to stay at home if they want.
"The CLASS Act was immensely important to Senator Kennedy because, as he said, ‘It makes a simple pact with all Americans - if you work hard and contribute, society will take care of you when you fall on hard times.’ The Act gives the elderly and people with disabilities opportunities to continue living at home, function in their communities, and obtain the long-term care and support they need," Senator Paul G. Kirk Jr., who is carrying the health care baton for Kennedy as his temporary replacement, said in a statement today.
He and other supporters say it would save money in the long run by keeping people off Medicaid, but critics have questioned the cost.
A summary of the proposal, provided by Kirk's office, is below:
Abortion rights group wants fewer restrictions
A leading abortion rights group said today that the Senate health care bill, while less objectionable than the House version, would still unfairly burden women.
The House bill bans a proposed public insurance option from covering abortion, and also prevents private insurers that accept federal subsidies from offering plans that cover abortion.
The bill unveiled by Senate majority leader Harry Reid is less restrictive, allowing insurers to use money from employers or consumers -- but not federal subsidies -- to cover abortions.
But NARAL Pro-Choice America said the legislation "includes a compromise that continues existing laws that unfairly single out abortion care, including a ban on federal funding."
“America’s pro-choice majority is speaking up loudly and clearly,” the group's president, Nancy Keenan, said in a statement. “Our goal is to ensure that women do not lose ground in the new health-care system and that attempts to expand existing restrictions on abortion are defeated.
"Some anti-choice politicians, such as Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), will follow Rep. Bart Stupak’s example and inject anti-abortion politics into health reform. However, we believe that senators understand that the Stupak amendment in the House bill goes far beyond the status quo and prohibits women from using their own money to buy the insurance coverage they want in the new system. Our activists will continue to remind senators that we’re expecting cooler heads to prevail at this stage of the process and that means the Stupak language is not an option.”
Making sense of House health bill
The health care debate is complicated enough to confuse even policy wonks.
So the House health committee has built a web application to help Americans figure out how the bill approved by the House earlier this month would affect them. The Senate is working on its own version, and if it passes legislation, a conference committee would try to reach a compromise that can pass both chambers and win President Obama's signature.
It's designed to answer questions including how someone would get coverage, who would be eligible for the new insurance "exchange," what would happen to a worker who gets coverage through their employer, and what would happen to Medicare.
The interactive graphic can be accessed here.
Big labor happier with health bill
One of the most important interest groups in the health care debate -- Big Labor -- gave a qualified endorsement today to the bill finally unveiled by top Senate Democrat Harry Reid.
Union support is crucial to Democrats and President Obama to push through the bill, but AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said the nation's largest labor federation is still not happy with a tax on the most generous insurance plans, though it would hit fewer workers than the Senate Finance version. Labor argues that many employees bargained for such benefits to make up for lower or nonexistent pay increases.
Trumka did praise another financing method -- raising payroll taxes on the upper income to help pay for Medicare.
"We commend Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for bringing forward a health care bill that moves us closer to the historic goal of health care for America – high quality, affordable health care for all in our rich nation. The Senate leadership bill takes the strongest steps yet to bring down costs. But the bill is not perfect. It retains a version of the excise tax from the Senate Finance Committee bill. We continue to believe that a tax on working families’ benefits is the wrong way to finance health care and we will work hard to eliminate this provision as the bill heads to the floor," Trumka said in a statement.
"The bill’s inclusion of a public insurance plan option to hold private insurance companies accountable is a tremendous step. And the legislation should be praised for its other fair financing plans, including an increase in the Medicare tax on the wealthiest and an employer responsibility requirement, which we believe should be expanded to include more employers. The bill would expand access by covering 94 percent of Americans and reduce the deficit by $130 billion over 10 years. Today another hurdle is cleared and we are optimistic that good, affordable care for working families will soon be law."
Reid unveils health bill
By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON -- The health care overhaul bill that top Senate Democrat Harry Reid hopes to bring to the floor as soon as Saturday would cost $849 billion over 10 years and would reduce the ranks of the uninsured by 31 million Americans.
A senior leadership aide provided those figures as Reid unveiled his bill, which he has spent weeks working on, melding major elements of the versions passed by the Senate finance and health committees.
The preliminary price tag from the Congressional Budget Office would bring the bill in under the $900 billion that President Obama has set as a ceiling. According to the preliminary CBO analysis, the legislation would reduce the federal deficit by $127 billion over the first decade and by $650 billion over the second decade.
The bill would cover an estimated 94 percent of Americans. Reid bragged that the bill would save lives and protect Medicare, the government program for the elderly.
The bill would set up new insurance exchanges, where consumers could choose plans. It would include a public option that includes a provision for states to opt out of the system -- an exemption that is upsetting liberals who say that a strong government plan is needed to compete with private insurers to ensure affordable coverage.
Like the other bills, Reid's measure would require most Americans to buy insurance coverage with subsidies for those who can't afford it, and would require larger companies to provide coverage to their workers or face fees. It would ban insurance company practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.
The bill would be financed by cuts in projected Medicare payments and by higher payroll taxes on upper income taxpayers. Under current law, the Medicare payroll tax is 1.45 percent of income. Under Reid's legislation, it would rise by half a percentage point on individuals' income above $200,000 a year and couples' income above $250,000.
The bill also includes a version of the tax on the most generous "Cadillac" insurance plans. The Senate Finance Committee bill proposed to tax health insurance plans costing more than $8,000 annually for individuals and $21,000 for families. Unions and others had strongly opposed that idea.
The bill the House passed earlier this month would be financed in large measure by a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge on individuals making more than $500,000 a year and households making more than $1 million.
The bill also includes a far less restrictive provision on abortion coverage than the House bill, which would ban the public plan from covering abortion and also ban private plans that accept federal subsidies from doing so. Republicans say the provision is needed to ensure that tax money does not fund abortions, but liberals and abortion rights say it would treat women unfairly and have threatened to vote against the final legislation if it includes it.
Reid's bill calls for the exchange to cover plans with and without abortion coverage, giving consumers a choice.
Reid had been waiting for the CBO numbers before unveiling his bill, for which he is still seeking to round up 60 votes to start floor debate. This afternoon, he met privately with three wavering moderate Democrats, Senators Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska.
UPDATE: President Obama this evening issued a statement praising Reid's bill, calling it "another critical milestone in the health reform effort."
"I was particularly pleased to see that the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the bill will reduce the deficit by $127 billion over the next ten years and as much as $650 billion in the decade following, saving hundreds of billions while extending coverage to 31 million more Americans," Obama said in a statement.
"From day one, our goal has been to enact legislation that offers stability and security to those who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don’t, and that lowers costs for families, businesses and governments across the country. Majority Leader Reid, Chairmen Baucus and Dodd, and countless Senators have worked tirelessly to craft legislation that meets those principles," the president added.
"Just yesterday, a bipartisan group of more than 20 leading health economists released a letter urging passage of meaningful reform and praising four key provisions that are in the Senate legislation: a fee on insurance companies offering high-premium plans, the establishment of an independent Medicare commission, reforms to the health care delivery system, and overall deficit neutrality. The economists said that these provisions ‘will reduce long-term deficits, improve the quality of care, and put the nation on a firm fiscal footing.’ Those are precisely the goals we should be seeking to attain.
"The challenges facing our health care system aren’t new – but if we fail to act they’ll surely get even worse, meaning higher premiums, skyrocketing costs, and deeper instability for those with coverage. Today, thanks to the Senate’s hard work, we’re closer than ever to enacting solutions to these problems. I look forward to working with the Senate and House to get a finished bill to my desk as soon as possible.”
Senator Paul G. Kirk Jr. of Massachusetts, who replaced the late Edward M. Kennedy who had made universal health care his final cause, also praised Reid's bill.
“This is a bill that would make Ted Kennedy proud,” Kirk said in a statement. “We’re a giant step closer to his long-held dream that quality, affordable health care is available to Americans. I’m especially pleased that the bill includes Senator Kennedy’s CLASS Act, so that the elderly and people with disabilities can obtain the support and services they need to continue living at home and participate in their communities.
“I particularly commend Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Dodd and Senator Baucus for their extraordinary leadership on this historic legislation, and for doing so in a way that contains costs for families and reduces the deficit over the long run. I look forward to its passage by the Senate.”
And the winner is..
President Obama's grassroots group late this afternoon announced the winner of its health care video contest -- a bunch of cute kids at a playground listing medical problems and saying that they deserve health care.
Organizing for America said it received more than 1,000 entries (some of which are mashed together at the beginning of the YouTube video with the winner) before narrowing them to 20 finalists and picking one.
"The winning video shows that our supporters' creativity and passion is more than a match for the slick ads and partisan spin doctors on the other side. In the next few days, we'll be using this video as the basis for a new television ad that will air across the country -- and you can help, by ensuring we have the resources to make the biggest impact," Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe says in an email to supporters soliciting contributions.
"With Congress wrapping up its last round of negotiations and closely gauging the public's mood in these crucial final weeks, now is the exact time to get this grassroots message out far and wide."
Poll: Deep divisions on health bill
Americans remain divided about the health care overhaul and skeptical that it will make their lives better, according to new polling.
In the Washington Post/ABC News survey published today, 49 percent oppose and 48 percent support the proposed changes overall. But tellingly, 52 percent say they expect their own care to become more expensive, and 56 percent say the overall cost of health care in the country increasing. And among the majority of Americans who have insurance, 39 percent believe their coverage will worsen while only 13 percent said they expect it to improve.
On the contentious issue of abortion, 61 percent support banning coverage using public subsidies, but 56 percent say if private money were used to pay for abortions, even insurance for those receiving government aid should be allowed to include coverage.
Meanwhile, a poll conducted for the Associated Press found that Americans prefer taxing the high earners to taxing so-called Cadillac plans to pay for the overhaul bill.
Under the bill passed by the House, there would be a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge on individuals making more than $500,000 a year and couples earning more than $1 million. The poll found 57 percent support a surtax, even it hit individuals making more than $250,000 a year.
The bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee would tax insurance plans costing more than $8,000 annually for individuals and $21,000 for families. The survey found 56 percent opposed to that approach.
UPDATE: A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released this afternoon found 46 percent in favor and 49 percent opposed to the House-passed bill. Those opposed included 34 percent who said the bill was "too liberal" and 10 percent who said it wasn't liberal enough.
Of respondents, 30 percent said that the Senate should make relatively minor changes to the House bill before passing it, 22 percent said the Senate should make major changes, 28 percent said the Senate should start over with a new bill next year, and 18 percent said the Senate should stop working on any major changes to the health care system.
Americans are also divided on whether they believe a health care bill similar to the House version will be passed by Congress this year: 49 percent said it is very or somewhat likely, but 50 percent said it is very or somewhat unlikely.
Abortion rights groups state their case
A leading abortion rights group delivered petitions today to try to squash the funding ban when the Senate takes up its health care overhaul bill.
NARAL Pro-Choice America said it and its partners, including People for the American Way, collected 97,218 signatures in 72 hours calling on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to resist pressure from anti-abortion groups to include the controversial provision in the House-passed bill. It would ban a new public insurance option from covering abortion and would also bar private insurance plans that accept patients receiving federal subsidies from offering that coverage.
“America’s pro-choice majority is speaking up loudly and clearly,” NARAL President Nancy Keenan said in a statement. “As the fight for health reform moves forward, we are making sure Sen. Reid and his colleagues understand that adding the anti-choice Stupak-Pitts language to the Senate bill is not an option.”
While supporters of the abortion funding provision say it would just keep in place the current ban on federal funding of abortions -- except in the cases of rape, incest, and danger to the mother's life -- abortion rights groups say it would go well beyond that, effectively denying women the right to use their own money to buy insurance with abortion coverage.
UPDATE: Another abortion rights group is up with a new ad airing on cable in Washington, D.C., and on the Internet.
In the spot from the Center for Reproductive Rights, a female stand-up comic is shown telling a joke: "A woman walks into her doctor’s office and says: ‘Doc, I’m 11 weeks pregnant. My baby has anencephaly, which means parts of her skull and brain are literally missing. It’s fatal. Does my insurance cover an abortion?’ The doctor says: ‘No it does not.' "
The joke is met with dead silence, then the announcer says, "Don’t let Congress ban abortion coverage millions already have.”
Measuring, influencing public opinion on health care
There are two interesting developments today in the health care debate as top Senate Democrat Harry Reid tries to get his ducks in a row to start floor debate this week.
First, the Washington Post reports that the US Chamber of Commerce, a leading business group that is trying to build support against the Democratic bills, is soliciting money for a study that could be used to cast the legislation as a threat to the nation's economy. In an e-mail obtained by the Post, the Chamber's senior health policy manager proposes spending $50,000 to hire a "respected economist" to study the bill.
Also, a new poll released by the Associated Press found Americans split almost right down the middle about the health care bill and worried about the fine print.
According to the survey, 43 percent of respondents oppose the health care bill being debated by Congress, while 41 percent support it, and 15 percent remain neutral or undecided.
The poll, conducted by Stanford University with the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found broad support for President Obama's goals, but concerns about the details to reach those goals. For example, while Americans support a ban on insurers denying coverage because of pre-existing medical problems, when told that such a prohibition would probably increase costs for many, 43 percent said they would still support the ban, but 31 percent said they would oppose it.
GOP still on warpath against health bill
It has been a week since the House passed the sweeping health care bill, but Republicans remain on the warpath against it.
Representative Mark Kirk of Illinois, an Afghanistan war vet, rails against the legislation in the weekly GOP radio-Internet address today.
He says the bill -- approved with only one Republican "aye" -- would increase taxes, would worsen the record federal deficits, would put government in control of health care, and would threaten Medicare.
"In the teeth of the Great Recession, the Pelosi bill would impose ten new taxes on the American economy. The top combined tax rate for my state of Illinois would be four percentage points higher than France," he says. "The Democrat bill levies new taxes on health insurance, income and even pace makers. The bill also cuts health care for seniors – my parents and many of yours – with $500 billion in cuts for Medicare doctors, hospitals and advantage patients. The bill even cuts Medicare for skilled nursing, wheelchairs and hospices.
“In sum, the bill opens a new trillion-dollar entitlement just as our national debt tops $12 trillion. Ignoring the future needs of Social Security and Medicare, the bill creates a new massive spending program, supported by heavy taxes and cuts to senior health care," Kirk adds.
The House Democratic bill does not trim Medicare, itself. But more than 10 million seniors enrolled in an enhanced, private version known as Medicare Advantage -- including 175,000 in Massachusetts -- could see their plans shrink or be replaced with traditional coverage under the health care overhaul plans proposed by Democrats in Congress.
Kirk also outlines the Republican alternative, with a heavy weight on curbing medical malpractice lawsuits, allowing people to take their coverage across state lines, and encouraging states to experiment. That plan, however, would come nowhere close to extending coverage to the millions of Americans without health insurance.
His full address is below, and can be viewed here.
GOP jettisons abortion coverage from own insurance
The GOP is doing its darndest to quickly move on from an embarrassing revelation -- that even as congressional Republicans insist that the health care overhaul does not cover abortions, the national party's own health plan covers elective procedures.
Late Thursday night, the Republican National Committee acknowledged that its health plan, as far back as 1991, included some coverage for elective abortion. Chairman Michael Steele instructed the RNC's director of administration to opt out of any coverage for elective abortion services in its health insurance policy, the party said.
"Money from our loyal donors should not be used for this purpose. I don't know why this policy existed in the past, but it will not exist under my administration. Consider this issue settled," Steele said in a statement.
The situation was first reported by Thursday by Politico, which cited two sales agents for Cigna who said that the RNC's policy covered elective abortion and that the RNC didn't opt out of abortion coverage when given the opportunity.
Abortion has emerged as a key issue in the health care debate after the bill approved by the House last weekend included a provision that would ban a new government-run public insurance plan from offering coverage and that would also bar private insurers that accept federal subsidies from doing so.
Supporters, including Republicans, say the provision preserves the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal money for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother. But opponents say the provision goes far beyond that and would result in many women either being denied coverage or having to pay more.
RNC tries to tie another Democrat to Kerry
For the second time this week, Republicans are using the example of Senator John F. Kerry to pressure moderate Democrats on health care.
This time, it's a web video targeting Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska for reportedly considering a vote to send the health care overhaul bill to the floor, but then voting against the bill. His vote could be crucial as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tries to reach the 60 votes to overcome a GOP filibuster and begin debate.
The Republican National Committee is calling it a "flip-flop" reminiscent of Kerry, who during his 2004 presidential campaign said of an Iraq war funding bill, “I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it.” (He was inartfully saying he voted for an earlier version of an Iraq war appropriation because it would have repealed many of President George W. Bush's tax cuts, but opposing the spending because he would not have gone to war without more international support.)
A similar web video went after Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas on the same grounds.
“Ben Nelson has taken part in the classic Potomac two-step of telling his constituents one thing in Nebraska and doing another thing back in Washington, D.C.," RNC Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement. "Politicians cannot have it both ways -- just ask John Kerry. Nebraskans can spot a phony politician when they see one and they know that any vote to move the Democrats’ health care bill forward is a vote for a government-run health care experiment.”
Michelle Obama back on health care
With President Obama abroad, first lady Michelle Obama will take up the health care mantle on Friday with a speech focused on the difficulties older women face getting insurance.
Her office announced today that she will be joined by Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Health Reform Office, and three women who will share their stories. "The event will highlight the important need for health insurance reform to help women access the care they need as they age, and to provide aging adults with affordable, reliable, quality health care," her office said.
The first lady jumped into the fray in a big way for the first time in mid-September, giving a speech on the importance of fixing health care for women.
“If we want to achieve true equality for women, if that is our goal . . . we have to reform the system. The status quo is unacceptable. It is holding women and families back, and we know it,’’ she said at an event sponsored by the six-month-old White House Council on Women and Girls.
Pro-business group urges rethink on health care
A business-friendly group said this afternoon that on Thursday it will launch a $10 million nationwide TV ad blitz warning against doing too much, too fast on the health care overhaul.
The Employment Policies Institute joins the US Chamber of Commerce and others weighing in against the legislation that Democrats are trying to push through Congress and to President Obama's desk.
The ad -- to air before likely like-minded viewers on Fox News Channel as well as CNN and CNBC -- features June O’Neill, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, arguing that the bill would deepen the national debt and hurt job creation.
"Our country is facing an enormous debt crisis. Many of the plans to reform health care will make this crisis worse. As an economist and former director of the Congressional Budget Office, I’m deeply concerned about these health care reforms," she says in the ad.
"They will add hundreds of billions of dollars to the already $12 trillion national debt. We are paying $500 million a day in interest alone. This growing debt is unsustainable. It will have huge negative effects on jobs, taxes and our economy. Unfortunately, some politicians are using accounting gimmicks to hide the cost of these changes. And many seniors on Medicare will pay the price. Changes are necessary. But I fear these reforms are definitely not the answer."
Clinton gives pep talk on health care
By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON -- Former President Bill Clinton, who has painful personal experience with failure on health care reform, urged Senate Democrats this afternoon to get a bill passed.
"It's not important to be perfect. It's important to move. The worst is to do nothing,'' he said after a private luncheon.
The former president didn't specifically discuss his failed effort in 1993-94, senators in the lunch said afterwards. It was more of a pep talk, he said.
"He was upbeat. Positive with every chromosome in his body,'' said Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat.
Lone GOP vote for health bill draws attention
While the 39 Democrats who voted against the health care bill have received quite a bit of notoriety, the lone Republican who supported it is getting his share of attention.
Representative Anh Cao, a freshman from New Orleans, is a Vietnamese-American who represents a largely African-American district that had been the fiefdom of Democrat William Jefferson, was under indictment when Cao ousted him last November.
Cao said he decided vote aye after a call from President Obama on Saturday, a conversation during which he sought assurances of more federal aid for Hurricane Katrina recovery. A devout Catholic, Cao also wanted the language that was added further restricting abortion services from the bill.
"I felt last night's decision was the proper decision for my district even though it was not the popular decision for my party," Cao told CNN on Sunday. "A lot of my constituents are uninsured, a lot of them are poor. It was the right decision for the people of my district."
Cao also responded to Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who after last week's election threatened to "come after" lawmakers who didn't toe the party line.
"He has the right to come after those members who do not conform to party lines, but I would hope that he would work with us in order to adjust to the needs of the district and to hold a seat that the Republican party would need," Cao said.
GOP slams Lincoln with Kerry comparison
Republicans are going aggressively after one of the key moderate Democrats who could decide the health care bill's fate in the Senate -- accusing Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas with an attempted "flip-flop" worthy of John F. Kerry.
A web video from the Republican National Committee slams Lincoln for a reported plan to vote for the bill to reach the Senate floor before voting against passage of the bill. Her vote could be crucial as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tries to round up 60 votes to overcome a GOP filibuster.
It repeatedly shows Kerry saying during one of his worst moments of his 2004 presidential campaign, “I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it.”
He was explaining why he voted for an earlier version of an Iraq war appropriation because it would have repealed many of President George W. Bush's tax cuts, before opposing the spending because he would not have gone to war without more international support. But Republicans used the clip to portray him as wishy-washy.
"Democrat leaders want Senator Blanche Lincoln to use the same tactic,” the announcer says in the web video. "To pass President Obama’s government-run health care experiment with a vote to move a bill forward with tax increases, cuts to Medicare, and rising premiums. Then, once it comes up for a final vote, they will allow her to vote against it.”
“But any vote to move the bill forward,” the announcer continues. “is a vote for Obama’s government-run health care experiment. They want Senator Lincoln to tell voters in Arkansas: ‘I voted for government-run health care for my party boss, before I voted against it to save my job.’ Americans don’t respect politicians who try to have it both ways. They want to know exactly where their leaders stand. Senator Lincoln, tell Harry Reid Arkansans know a flip-flopper when they see one.”
House vote on health care could be delayed
By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON -- The No. 2 Democrat in the House said this morning that Democratic leaders are "very close" to getting the 218 votes they need to pass their sweeping health care bill.
But House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said they have put the rank-and-file on notice that the voting could spill over to Sunday afternoon and possibly Monday and Tuesday if necessary.
"My expectation is that time will not be needed, and we will get this done by Saturday night," Hoyer said in a conference call with the liberal health care consumers group Families USA. But a bit later he acknowledged that the leadership is still looking to solidify the support needed for passage.
"There are many people who are still looking to get a comfort level that this is the right thing to do," he said.
House leaders are trying to rush the bill -- one of the largest and most complex pieces of legislation considered in recent years -- through the lower chamber quickly. They fear that with every passing hour, more issues could arise and create obstacles to passage.
Hoyer said discussions are ongoing over two side issues, abortion and immigration. Conservative Democrats don't want public money to indirectly subsidize abortion, and they also don't want illegal immigrants to benefit from insurance subsidies.
If the House and Senate both pass legislation, Hoyer said -- rather ominously -- that he expects a "relatively lengthy and difficult conference" given the major differences between the House and Senate and the complexity of the bill.
UPDATE: White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters that the administration regrets the likely delay in the vote, but President Obama still plans to go to Capitol Hill on Saturday and sees it as "an important step forward."
He also acknowledged the tense discussions over abortion and illegal immigrants. "Congress, obviously, is working through a process that will ultimately, we believe, before the end of the year get a bill to the president's desk," he said.
Poll: Majority says health bill not ready
As House Democrats prepare to push through their health care overhaul this weekend, a new poll suggests that most Americans aren't satisfied with the sweeping measure and want Congress to keep working on it.
In the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released this morning, 33 percent of respondents said they wanted Congress to pass the final legislation only after "major changes" are made, another 24 percent said Congress should start from scratch and seek passage next year, and 15 percent said Congress should stop work on an overhaul altogether.
Only 26 percent said they wanted Congress to proceed with only minor changes to the proposals.
The poll also found 55 percent in favor of the public option -- a government-run plan to compete with private insurers -- though that support was down from 61 percent two weeks ago. Support for President Obama's health care plan has also declined to 45 percent from 49 percent in mid-October.
And the poll found that health care is far behind the economy in importance to Americans -- and that gap has grown in the past two weeks. Now, 47 percent rank the economy as the most important issue facing the nation, compared to 17 percent for health care -- a 30-percentage-point difference compared to 21 percentage points two weeks ago.
The new survey was conducted Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Health care fight heats up
The political jockeying is ramping up as the House prepares to vote on its sweeping health care bill as soon as Saturday.
Not a single Republican is expected to vote for the Democratic bill, which would cost $1.2 trillion bill over 10 years, require employers to insure their employees, and prohibit insurance companies from dropping coverage for sick people.
Instead, House Republicans are promoting their own belated bill -- including in a marathon online town hall today -- that focuses far more on cutting costs than covering uninsured Americans.
(Democrats, meanwhile, issued a dismissive slap at the online town hall. "We're planning a twelve second town hall to explain every last detail of the GOP health care plan," Democratic National Committee spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a statement. "According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the Republican 'plan' would do no nothing to stop insurance companies from denying care to Americans with pre-existing conditions or other profit protecting practices, do less to reduce the deficit and leave more people without insurance than there are today. They might as well call it the Do Nothing Act of 2009.")
House GOP Leader John Boehner is bragging about an independent analysis by the Congressional Budget Office that says the Republican health care plan will lower premiums by as much as 10 percent and reduce the federal deficit by $68 billion over 10 years.
“When it comes to reforming health care, controlling skyrocketing costs is the American peoples’ top priority. Now CBO has confirmed that the Republican plan will lower health care costs for American families, and that’s good news for everyone struggling in today’s economy. The choice now could not be clearer: Speaker Pelosi’s plan raises costs. Our plan lowers them," Boehner said in a statement.
“Not only does the GOP plan lower health care costs, but it also increases access to quality care – including for those with pre-existing conditions – at a price our country can afford. The cost of the Speaker’s bill, now at $1.3 trillion and counting, is a debt that will be paid for by our kids and our grandkids. The American people deserve a better solution, and Republicans’ smart, fiscally-responsible plan gives them exactly what they want."
Boehner, however, does not mention that the CBO analysis found that the Republican plan would only decrease the number of uninsured Americans by about 3 million by 2019, leaving about 50 million without coverage. The Democratic bill, by contrast, would cover an estimated 96 percent of Americans.
UPDATE: Also, thousands of protestors, many of them "tea party" anti-tax activists, are holding a rally outside Congress in opposition to the Democratic bill and President Obama's plan. They say it would extend government control over health care and lead to higher taxes.
Speaking to the rally, Boehner called the Democratic health care bill "the greatest threat to freedom" he had seen in his 19 years in Congress.
He warned that it would lead to a government takeover with bureaucrats making health care decisions.
"I'm going to stand with you and all freedom-loving Americans," he said, holding up a copy of the Constitution and reading from the preamble about the "right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
According to the Associated Press, protestors' signs included one that said "Waterboard Congress," along with echoes of the rallying cry at August town halls with lawmakers, "Vote no to government-run health care."
One protester carried a placard reading, "Bury Obamacare with Kennedy," a reference to Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, who died of brain cancer in August and who called universal health care the cause of his life.
A liberal-labor coalition is rebutting the GOP plan with a new TV ad that slams it as a bill to protect insurance company profits.
"This just in: Republicans in Congress have introduced the Health Insurance Industry Profits Protection Act," the announcer says in the ad from Americans United for Change.
"The Republican bill lets insurance companies continue denying care for preexisting conditions," the announcer continues in the faux newscast. "Republicans will still let insurers raise premiums four times faster than wages. And health care will remain unaffordable for most Americans."
"Well folks, it looks like when it comes to health care, the party of no is now, the party of no change."
The AARP, a powerful lobby for seniors, officially announced its endorsement today of the House Democratic bill, despite concerns about potential cuts for members enrolled in Medicare "plus" plans.
The group, however, focused on the provisions that it says will "curb insurance companies’ discrimination against older Americans and Medicare improvements that strengthen benefits while protecting the program for future generations."
“Our goals have always been to make health coverage more affordable for our younger members, those aged 50 to 64, and to protect Medicare for seniors,” Deborah Banda, AARP Massachusetts state director, said in a statement. “Having reviewed the Affordable Health Care for America Act, we believe it meets these goals by improving benefits for people in Medicare – including closing the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap, the dreaded “doughnut hole” – and making health insurance market reforms to help ensure affordable health coverage for every American.”
Obama highlights AARP, AMA endorsements
President Obama, in a surprise appearance during the regular press briefing, bragged this afternoon about the support for the Democratic health care bill by the AARP and the American Medical Association, saying the endorsements bring reform closer than ever.
"This is no small endorsement," he said of the AARP support, saying it should rebut criticism that the proposals would hurt seniors.
"We're thrilled they're standing with us," Obama, who plans to visit Capitol Hill on Friday in support of health reform, told reporters.
The AMA's backing is also important, he said, because "the doctors of America know what needs to be fixed with our health care system." (His full remarks are below.)
The AMA backed the Democratic bill, plus a companion bill that would shield doctors from cuts in Medicare reimbursements.
"The time to make health system reform a reality is now,” J. James Rohack, AMA president, said in a statement. "These two bills were introduced together, and they need to be passed together. Both are essential to achieving meaningful health system reform this year."
While the health bill is "not perfect," on balance it "is consistent with our principles of pluralism, freedom of choice, freedom of physician practice and universal access," he added. "It will significantly expand health insurance coverage to Americans to empower patient and physician decision making; institute meaningful insurance market reforms; make substantial investments in quality; institute prevention and wellness initiatives; provide incentives to states that adopt certificate of merit and/or early offer liability reforms, and reduce administrative burdens."
Earlier today, the AARP officially announced its endorsement despite concerns about potential cuts for members enrolled in Medicare "plus" plans.
The group, however, focused on the provisions that it says will "curb insurance companies’ discrimination against older Americans and Medicare improvements that strengthen benefits while protecting the program for future generations."
“Our goals have always been to make health coverage more affordable for our younger members, those aged 50 to 64, and to protect Medicare for seniors,” Deborah Banda, AARP Massachusetts state director, said in a statement. “Having reviewed the Affordable Health Care for America Act, we believe it meets these goals by improving benefits for people in Medicare – including closing the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap, the dreaded “doughnut hole” – and making health insurance market reforms to help ensure affordable health coverage for every American.”
Patrick huddles with Mass. delegation
By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON -- Governor Deval Patrick and House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo met with the state's congressional delegation at the Capitol this morning to discuss a variety of issues, including the national health care overhaul the House may begin voting on this weekend.
Patrick said the economic woes confronting Massachusetts were also a primary focus of the talks, which those who participated in them said also covered education, transportation and global warming.
"We are trying to project a reality to the public that is so in our working relationship -- we are working closely together, trying as best we can, with the tools we have, to bring some relief to people who are suffering and some hope to everybody," he said.
Patrick, who met with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Wednesday, said he was trying to make sure that the federal health care bills taking shape would not harm the state's health care system, which depends heavily on support from the federal government and provides far more generous subsidies for low-income people than the federal proposals on the table, and would provide the state the flexibility it needs to work on cost containment.
Representative Edward Markey, a Democrat from Malden and the dean of the delegation, said he is certain the House version of the legislation, which is scheduled to be voted on Saturday evening, would benefit Massachusetts.
"Our delegation is supporting the legislation because we know it does help Massachusetts," he said.
On his whirlwind two-day visit to Washington, Patrick is also meeting with other top administration officials, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid, and Massachusetts wounded at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The governor is scheduled to have a brief audience this afternoon with his friend and ally, President Obama.
Kirk pushes better tracking of health spending
Senator Paul G. Kirk Jr. took to the Senate floor today to highlight a rather wonky provision in the health care overhaul legislation -- a national data collection organization to track spending on health programs and its effectiveness.
"We need measures to identify what is wrong with our current health care system, including what is driving the increasingly high cost of care," Kirk said, noting that the industry now totals a mind-boggling $2.33 trillion a year.
"Abundant research and reports have analyzed such questions. What is desperately needed, however, is a central, independent organization that can analyze all of the research performed by various organizations, and make that information readily available to Congress, the Executive Branch, and the American people. That’s an indispensable part of successful health reform. It will give decision-makers easier access to all the knowledge available and eliminate wasteful spending of the hard-earned dollars of American families," the Massachusetts Democrat said.
He noted that the lawmaker he replaced, the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, proposed the Key National Indicator System to provide it. "It will be a non-partisan, independent agency with a public/private partnership. It will foster better relationships between members of the legislative, statistical and scientific communities, and will lead to greater transparency and accountability for spending on national health programs," Kirk said.
His full prepared remarks are below:
Study: Parallels between 1994 and now on health care
By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON -- Americans' opinion of the health care proposals now before Congress is eerily similar to public opinion of the Clinton health reform initiatives in 1994, according to an analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine today -- and that may not bode well for Democrats.
In theory, Americans think the health care system needs to be fixed and they like many of the ideas Democrats are promoting. But they don't like the specific proposals taking shape because they do not think they will benefit them personally.
The report, an in-depth look at more than 30 polls conducted this fall and during the same period in 1994, when the Clinton health reform effort was gasping its last breaths, was co-authored by Robert J. Blendon, a Harvard professor and a leading specialist on health care and public opinion whom congressional leaders of both parties have consulted.
Critics are likely to point out that it is impossible to compare the two periods -- in the fall of 1994, Clinton had been president for a year longer than President Obama has now. Obama has had much more cooperation from Congress than Clinton has had, thanks partly to a difference in strategy. Obama allowed Congress to handle the details of the lawmaking process, while Clinton created resentment among lawmakers by employing a secretive process within the executive branch.
At this time in 1993, the parallel point in the Clinton presidency, Clinton had not yet even introduced bills; this time, five congressional committees have passed legislation, and all of the bills approach the problem of how to insure nearly 50 million Americans without coverage in basically the same way.
But Blendon's analysis hones in on a key point that Democrats are likely to pay increasing attention to, particularly after this week's elections put them on notice that voters remain deeply concerned about the economy and restless with their political leadership.
Republicans offer familiar health proposals
After months of bashing the Democratic bills, House Republicans have come up with their own health care proposal.
The near-final draft focuses more on cutting costs than on covering the uninsured. And it comes in at 230 pages, compared to the 1,990-page behemoth that Democrats plan to bring to the House floor for a vote this week.
UPDATE: Late this afternoon, Republicans announced that party Chairman Michael Steele, House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence and other House members will hold a 12-hour online town hall marathon -- from 1 p.m. EST Thursday to 1 a.m. EST Friday.
"This online health care forum named 'Pelosi Plan Exposed' will ... expose the 12 truths of Nancy Pelosi’s health care bill. House Republicans will also promote and discuss the GOP health care legislation introduced in the House this week," the announcement said.
Republicans plan to offer their bill as an alternative on the floor. It does not require employers to offer coverage and does not require individuals to obtain, and does not ban insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. It most certainly does not include any kind of "public option" government plan to compete with private insurers.
Rather, the GOP plan incorporates some tried -- and Democrats would argue tired -- prescriptions: more health savings accounts, limits on pain and suffering awards in medical malpractice cases, and more leeway to sell health insurance to be sold across state lines.
"Americans want a step-by-step, common-sense approach to health care reform, not Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s costly, 1,990-page government takeover of our nation’s health care system. Republicans’ alternative solution focuses on lowering health care premiums for families and small businesses, increasing access to affordable, high-quality care, and promoting healthier lifestyles – without adding to the crushing debt Washington has placed on our children and grandchildren," House Republicans said in releasing their plan.
House Republicans this morning released the full text of their plan, available here. (Their summary of the plan is below.)
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs quickly noted how long it took Republicans to roll out their health care alternative and that it does not include "banning insurance companies from discrimination against sick people."
But Gibbs went on to say during his daily briefing that the Obama will continue to try to work with Republicans.
Congressional Democrats were even more dismissive of the GOP plan.
The No. 2 House Democrat, Steny Hoyer of Maryland, told the Associated Press that the Republican alternative "does little to provide security and stability to all Americans, doesn't provide insurance availability for all Americans, does little to expand access to coverage."
"Ours is vastly superior and we think the American public will think that," Hoyer added.
The Democratic National Committee called the GOP bill the "Health Insurance Company Protection Act.”
“It’s appalling that John Boehner and Republicans in Congress would rather maintain the status quo and allow insurance companies to continue engaging in unfair practices that boost their profits at the expense of consumers than pass the health insurance reform American families and businesses so desperately need," Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, a DNC co-chairwoman, said in a statement.
"We have said for some time that Republicans are more interested in protecting the health insurance industry than in helping consumers - and the plan Republicans are putting forward is all the proof anyone would need to know we've been telling the truth. The Republican plan amounts to a ‘Health Insurance Company Protection Act’ and shows once and for all that Republicans don’t want real reform and will fight to protect the status quo every step of the way. At a time when health insurance costs are skyrocketing and families fear losing their coverage if someone gets sick, the last thing we need is to give insurance companies another break. Passing the Republicans’ bill would be worse than passing no reform at all," she added.
“It’s time for Republicans to get the message: Americans want real reform. Instead of handing out favors to big insurance companies, Republicans should work with President Obama and Democrats in Congress to pass the health insurance reform our country needs.”
"This is it?" asked Americans United for Change, a liberal-labor coalition supporting the Democratic bills. "Only 139 days after promising a better proposal for health insurance reform, the Republican House Leadership are today proudly waving in the air a thin outline of a bill that ought to be named the ‘Perpetuate the Status Quo to Protect Insurance Industry Profits Act of 2009.’
"Congressional Republicans say their bill will show they mean business -- except that business is the health insurance industry, and their bill is all about protecting its massive profits. And demonstrating just how serious congressional Republicans are about reform, they’ve decided to omit reforms the American people support the most -- namely the GOP bill does nothing to end the unscrupulous insurance industry practices of denying coverage to Americans who are sick or have ‘pre-existing’ conditions," the group added.
Game time on health care
It's gut check time, a liberal-labor coalition is telling wavering members of Congress.
The latest TV spot on health care from Americans United for Change tries to remind lawmakers that some of the biggest advances did not come until after lots of controversy -- and that it's time to buck up as the House prepares to vote this week on the health care overhaul.
"A great American once said that you can’t have the rain without the thunder and lightning," the announcer says over an animation of a big storm. "Social Security, child labor laws, Medicare, even the creation of the national parks. They were all born in controversy."
As the skies clear in the image, the announcer continues: "But after the storm they all became essential parts of the American landscape. Ask your members of Congress to take a vote they will be proud of for generations to come. Ask them to vote yes to make health care a right for every American."
GOP representative says health bill scarier than terrorists
Republicans have criticized the Democratic health care overhaul in a lot of ways: as a government takeover, as a huge tax increase, as a job killer, as rationing by death panels.
But worse than terrorism?
That's a new one -- and it came out of the mouth today of a Republican congresswoman from North Carolina.
"I believe that the greatest fear that we all should have ... to our freedom comes from this room, this very room, and what may happen later this week in terms of a tax increase bill masquerading as a health care bill," Representative Virginia Foxx said on the House floor. "I believe we have more to fear from the potential of that bill passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country."
The Democratic National Committee quickly pounced: "It is outrageous that anyone would compare the action of terrorists to efforts to help American families get secure, stable and affordable health insurance," said DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse.
Kirk echoes Brooke's call for bipartisanship
In a speech today, Senator Paul G. Kirk Jr. seconded former Senator Edward W. Brooke, who even as he received Congress's highest civilian honor Wednesday admonished lawmakers for partisan warfare.
"I am proud that Massachusetts sent Ed Brooke to Washington, and we saw yesterday what our state long ago saw in him: his strength, his wisdom, his decency, and his deep commitment to meeting the needs of the American people," Kirk said. "Ed Brooke was elected as a Republican, but the people of Massachusetts didn’t see him as a party man. They saw him as a great American, and a model politician. They supported him because they understood that difficult times require statesmen who can work across party lines."
And that bipartisan spirit should start with the health care overhaul, Kirk told his colleagues.
"We are poised to enact the most significant domestic legislation since the civil rights era. I know that each and every senator has deeply held beliefs about how we can best reform our health care system -- and that those deeply held beliefs will sometimes collide. We should and we will have a vigorous debate in this chamber," said the former Democratic Party chairman.
"But that debate should reflect a level of the civility and the cooperation that is equal to the magnitude of what is at stake for American families. It should reflect the spirit of teamwork and collaboration that we always saw in statesmen like Ed Brooke -- and Ted Kennedy. Our times, and our nation, demand nothing less."
His full prepared remarks are below:
House Democrats unveil health bill
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this morning unveiled the health care overhaul bill that is to go the floor next week for a vote.
At a pep rally-style event in front of the Capitol, she said that Congress is "about to deliver on the promise" of making affordable health care available to all with a bill that would extend coverage to 36 million more Americans and ban insurers from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions.
On a major point of contention, the bill includes a "public option" that would let the government sell insurance in competition with private insurers.
The bill, pegged to cost $894 billion over 10 years, would require nearly all Americans by 2013 to obtain coverage, either through their employer, a government program, or new purchasing exchanges. The plan also calls for a significant expansion of Medicaid, the federal-state health program for the poor. And it would impose a requirement on employers to offer insurance to their workers or face penalties.
The bill has been posted online and is available here.
If the House passes a bill, it would have to be melded with the version that comes out of the Senate, where top Democrat Harry Reid is still trying to round up the votes to bring his version -- which includes a public option from which states could opt out -- to the floor.
Republicans and other critics quickly attacked the House Democrats' bill as a recipe for government control of health care and for higher costs. Americans for Tax Reform released a list of what it said was more than a dozen new or increased taxes or fees in the bill.
"Over the last several months, the American people have spoken, and it's pretty clear that our Democrat colleagues have not listened. Through the month of August and September, the American people let members of Congress from both sides of the aisle know that they wanted no part of a government-run health care plan," Representative John Boehner of Ohio, the top House Republican, told reporters on Capitol Hill.
"But nothing really has changed over these last couple of months, and yet the Democrats come forward with a bill that really is a government takeover of our health care system. It's not just the so-called government option. It's the over 50 new mandates, bureaucracies, tax hikes, commissions, all of this is going to require tens of thousands of new federal employees, which is clearly designed for a government takeover of our health care system," Boehner added.
"So no listening and 1,990 pages. Now, tell me how -- how we're going to fix our health care system with 1,990 pages of bureaucracy. This is what the American people have been saying over the last few months: Enough is enough."
UPDATE: The AFL-CIO came out this afternoon in praise of the House Democrats' bill, which it much prefers to the one being worked on in the Senate, which would tax high-cost "Cadillac" health plans to help pay for covering more people. Labor says that would hurt working people, who gave up pay raises for those more generous health benefits.
"Today’s release of a progressive health care reform bill by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi puts America’s working families one big step closer to getting quality and affordable health care, and it’s a model for fair financing. The leadership in the House has crafted a fiscally responsible bill that will provide coverage to 96 percent of Americans and successfully works to lower costs, increase choice, expand coverage and stop insurance company abuses. It will reduce our deficit by $30 billion over the next 10 years," AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka said in a statement.
"The inclusion of a public plan option ensures that we reduce skyrocketing health care costs by holding insurance companies accountable and forcing them to compete. The public option also ensures that all Americans can get coverage no matter what," he added. "The bill does not attempt to finance reform on the backs of the working middle class. In addition, the employer responsibility provision ensures a fair share of financing from employers and prevents employers from increasing costs for everyone by dumping people into subsidized programs. We look forward to working with the leadership in both the House and the Senate to continue to strengthen these provisions as we move forward to pass real health care reform. We strongly believe that these fair financing elements should be included in the final legislation in order to ensure that we are not asking those who struggle to pay for health care to pay even more."
President Obama issued a statement congratulating House Democrats on their bill, calling it "another critical milestone in the effort to reform our health care system."
"This legislation is the product of unprecedented cooperation and countless hours of hard work by Speaker Pelosi, Chairmen Waxman, Rangel, and Miller, Congressman Dingell, and scores of House members who share my conviction that we can’t wait another year for health insurance reform. They have forged a strong consensus that represents a historic step forward," he said in his statement.
"The House legislation includes critical reforms to the insurance industry, so that Americans will no longer have to worry that they will be denied coverage, or that their coverage will be dropped or watered down when they need it most. I’m also pleased that the bill includes a public option offered in an exchange. As I’ve said throughout this process, a public option that competes with private insurers is the best way to ensure choice and competition that are so badly needed in today’s market. And the House bill clearly meets two of the fundamental criteria I have set out: it is fully paid for and will reduce the deficit in the long term.
"While we know there will may more steps and much spirited debate before a bill reaches my desk, I congratulate the House on their work so far, and I’m confident that members will continue to work together to deliver meaningful reform for America’s families and businesses.”
Meanwhile, Obama is pressing his case for health care reform, speaking this morning to invited small business owners and members of the US Chamber of Commerce and National Federation of Independent Business.
"If we’re serious about strengthening small businesses; if we’re serious about creating a climate where our entrepreneurs can succeed; if we’re serious about giving you the chance to prosper and grow, then we need to pass health insurance reform in the United States of America," he plans to say, according to remarks released in advance by the White House.
"Few have a bigger stake in what happens than all of you. Few have a bigger stake than the men and women who own a small business, work at a small business, or rely on someone who does. Few have a bigger stake in what happens because few are struggling more under the status quo."
His full remarks are below:
Kirk stays on health care
A day after giving his first floor speech -- on the need for bipartisanship on the health care overhaul -- Senator Paul G. Kirk Jr. returns to the chamber this morning to talk about how the version passed by the Senate health committee would help the elderly and disabled.
Kirk is one of nine freshman Democrats scheduled to give back-to-back speeches, his office said. Each will touch on a different issue or program that "exemplify how health care reform will work and how it is working already."
Kirk's topic is the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, also championed by his mentor and the man he is temporarily replacing, the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
"Here’s how the CLASS Act will help the middle class," Kirk said. "Under the act, a worker in Massachusetts or any other state can choose to pay into a voluntary insurance program through affordable payroll deductions. After five years of those deductions, they would be eligible for a daily cash benefit of $50 if they became disabled. That money can make a huge difference in allowing a disabled person to live with independence and with dignity. For example, it can pay for having a ramp installed in their home or pay for needed transportation or purchase a commuter to work from home and remain self-sufficient."
His full remarks are below:
FULL ENTRYPoll: support growing for public option
Public support for a public option in health care appears to be growing, according to a new poll.
The NBC/Wall Street Journal survey found that 48 percent support a government-run plan to compete with private insurers and 42 percent oppose it -- the strongest support ever in the survey. Last month, opinion was basically divided with 46 percent in favor and 48 percent against.
The new poll, conducted Thursday through Sunday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
The top Senate Democrat, Harry Reid of Nevada, revived the possibility of a public option being in the final bill by announcing Monday that he would include one in the version he plans to bring to the full Senate -- albeit with a big exception in that states would be able to opt out.
But at the same time, Reid's move might have cost him a vote of a Senate moderate.
The Associated Press is reporting that Senator Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who caucuses with Democrats, is saying that while he's "strongly inclined" to vote to bring Reid's health care plan to the Senate floor for debate, he would ultimately vote no because it includes a public option.
Lieberman told the AP that he's worried a public option would be costly to taxpayers and drive up insurance premiums.
UPDATE: But Lieberman told Politico that he would join a Republican filibuster if the bill includes a public option.
"We're trying to do too much at once," Lieberman told Politico. “To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the national debt. I don’t think we need it now."
And Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, the only Republican to support any of the health bills so far, is saying she would vote with fellow Republicans to block the Democratic bill if changes are not made to the version that Reid outlined, the AP reports.
Counting Lieberman, Democrats control 60 votes -- just enough to overcome a possible GOP filibuster -- so Snowe's vote could be crucial.
Kirk calls for unity on health care
Senator Paul G. Kirk Jr. delivered his first major floor speech today, and he chose a subject close to the heart of the legendary lawmaker he replaced.
And Kirk sounded a theme woven through the late Edward M. Kennedy's 47 years in the Senate -- reaching across the aisle in search of bipartisan compromise on the most important issues facing the nation.
“Of all the issues on which he led the Senate and our nation, the one Ted Kennedy called the cause of his life was the battle for affordable, quality health care," Kirk told his colleagues. "At this moment, we are closer to realizing the long held dream that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care than at any time in our nation’s history."
But, he added, "At this moment, when America’s families are imperiled by economic hardship and uncertainty, it provides them no comfort to see the United States Senate so politically polarized over an issue that should be bringing us together on their behalf."
When he was sworn in last month, Kirk became the 60th vote in the Senate allied with Democrats, theoretically giving his party enough votes to overcome Republican procedural hurdles and to get a health care bill through the chamber.
Today, Kirk stressed, "This debate should not be about one party reaching 60 votes; it should be about 100 Senators reaching out to each other to reform a health care system so that it better reflects the true values and character of our nation.”
Kirk, a former Kennedy aide and Democratic Party chairman, noted that the late senator gave his first major health care speech 40 years ago, and that Capitol Hill has been littered with unsuccessful efforts at reform since as the estimates of uninsured Americans has ballooned from 25 million to 46 million.
"As this debate continues, I hope we will pause for a moment – to hear Ted Kennedy’s voice in the quiet of our hearts. You and I know, he will urge us to seize this moment – to come together in this common cause, and to make sure, at long last, that all Americans will have access to the quality, affordable health care they have long deserved and so urgently need," said Kirk, standing at the desk where Kennedy's booming voice advocated for civil rights and help for the poor as well as universal health care.
But Kirk, who is serving until a special election on Jan. 19 decides who will serve out Kennedy's term, said he will advocate for a proposal that is causing much of the partisan divide -- a public option.
Republicans say that a government-run plan to compete with private insurers will drive insurance companies out of business and give government too big a role in the health care system.
But Kirk agreed with top Senate Democrat Harry Reid, who announced Monday that a public option would be in the bill that comes to the floor. A public option will "stimulate competition and reduce costs in the health care marketplace," Kirk said.
Kirk also defended the landmark health insurance law in Massachusetts, saying that it is "regrettable" that "special interests who have a financial stake in our failing health care system" have attacked the reform bill and "the success of our reform in Massachusetts."
"Well, let me set the record straight," he is telling the Senate. "First, because of our bipartisan reforms, less than 3% of the Massachusetts population is without health insurance -- lower than any other state. Second, the state’s most respected independent fiscal watchdog concluded that Massachusetts implemented reform in a fiscally responsible and financially sustainable way. Third, unlike every other state, employer-based health insurance is increasing in Massachusetts. Finally, according to a recent statewide poll by the Harvard School of Public Health, 79% of the public -- and practitioners in every sector of the Massachusetts health care system -- including physicians -- strongly support our bipartisan reform."
Fellow Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry and top Senate Democrats, including Dick Durbin of Illinois and Reid, were in the chamber for the speech. Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia came up to Kirk afterwards and congratulated him.
Kirk's full prepared remarks are below:
Reid backs public option
After weeks of uncertainty, the top Senate Democrat announced this afternoon that he wants to include a government-run option as part of the health care overhaul, though it's not clear he has the votes to get it through the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said at a news conference that he favors the contentious public option, which is included in the versions passed by the Senate health committee and three House panels but not the one from the Senate Finance Committee, according to several media organizations.
"While the public option is not a silver bullet, I believe it's an important way to ensure competition and to level the playing field for patients with the insurance industry," Reid said.
Reid threw his support behind a version that would allow states to opt out of offering government-run coverage to compete with private insurers. Under his proposal, states would have until 2014 to do so.
"Under this concept, states will be able to determine whether the public option works well for them and will have the ability to opt out, if they so choose," Reid said. "I believe that a public option can achieve the goal of bringing meaningful reform to our broken system. It will protect consumers, keep insurers honest and ensure competition."
But the opt-out will not please liberal Democrats, who say the public option should be available nationwide and is essential to keeping the insurance industry honest.
President Obama has said he prefers a public option, but is not demanding it as part of a bill he could sign.
Reid said the bill that goes to the Senate floor will also include a provision for nonprofit co-ops as another option for affordable coverage.
He said he is sending his proposal -- which combines elements of the Senate Finance and Senate health bills -- to the Congressional Budget Office for an analysis of how much it would cost. He and Obama are aiming for a plan that comes in at $900 billion over 10 years or less.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs issued a statement on Obama's behalf congratulating Reid, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, and Senate Christopher Dodd, who shepherded the health committee bill.
“Thanks to their efforts, we’re closer than we’ve ever been to solving this decades-old problem," Gibbs said. "And while much work remains, the President is pleased that at the progress that Congress has made. He’s also pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out. As he said to Congress and the nation in September, he supports the public option because it has the potential to play an essential role in holding insurance companies accountable through choice and competition.”
Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, a Finance Committee member, also applauded Reid for including a public option.
“This is big news, and it’s very good news. Majority Leader Reid is taking the gutsy and appropriate road in fighting for the right policy, something the American people want and an issue on which every Senator should be held accountable," Kerry said in a statement.
"That’s why I voted for it in the Finance Committee and why I’ve advocated for it since day one. Leader Reid has laid out a plan that is reasonable and fair and will help achieve quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans. Ted Kennedy once told me there were many ways to arrive at health care reform, and he always knew that the first step was in finding every possible avenue to fight for the best policy. That’s the tradition the Majority Leader is carrying on today.”
Cantor: Bipartisan deal still possible on health care
The No. 2 Republican in the House says there's still daylight for a bipartisan deal on health care.
But what Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia says the GOP would support falls far short of what Democrats and the White House want -- making even more clear how deep and wide the partisan divide is on health care.
"Given the heated rhetoric and sharp partisan divides that have characterized this year's debate, it's easy to forget that there are several key reforms in health care that Democrats and Republicans can agree on," Cantor says in an opinion piece published online on CNN.
He says both parties agree on providing more affordable health coverage, especially for Americans who change jobs; barring insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions; and going some distance on medical malpractice reform.
"Congress can accomplish the dual goals of improving the quality of care in America and trimming the ranks of the uninsured if we focus on what Democrats and Republicans can agree on, rather than on our differences. It's not too late for the majority to change course," he writes.
But Cantor says Democrats' proposals for a public option -- a government plan to compete with private insurers -- is a "poison pill" that would guarantee Republican opposition. And he accuses Democrats of a bill that "dishonestly resorts to a host of budget gimmicks to give the veneer of deficit neutrality over the next decade."
Liberals push Obama on public option
Liberals are trying to intensify their pressure on President Obama for a full-fledged public option as part of the health care overhaul.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee has a petition, website, and a new TV ad urging Obama to insist on a government-run plan to compete with private insurers -- and to stop kowtowing to Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, the only Republican to support the health reform bill so far. She has made clear the most she would support is a public option "trigger" that would go into effect only if private insurers don't provide coverage and cut costs.
The petition, YesWeStillCan.org website, and ad all seek to remind Obama of his campaign pledges that attracted a huge grassroots groundswell that put him in the White House.
In the TV spot, an activist notes that Maine went heavily for Obama last November and that polls show a majority of Maine residents support a public option. "We worked hard for it," the activist says. "We worked hard for you."
The petition echoes, "Every day, insurance companies deny care and let people die. Getting one Republican senator's vote is not worth delaying reform -- too many real lives are at stake. We need you to fight and state clearly that anything less than a strong public option is not change we can believe in."
And Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, criticizes Obama for not putting more pressure on top Senate Democrat Harry Reid for a public option and for telling his grassroots Organizing for America group last week that they should be happy with the bill that doesn't include the government plan. "Understand that the bill that you least like in Congress right now. The one you least like, of the five that are out there, would provide 29 million Americans health care," the president lectured.
Green retorts: "Yay insurance for 29 million people -- by mandating they buy insurance from rip-off artists with no choice of a public option!"
"Here's what the White House needs to understand: Expressing a preference for the public option is not the same as fighting for the public option. Telling Harry Reid 'good luck with that' is not the same as the president saying, 'I am there helping Reid fight for those final votes,' " Green said in a statement.
"Americans clearly favor a strong bill over a bipartisan bill and are clamoring for President Obama to make good on the mandate for sweeping change that was given to him in the 2008 election. President Obama will be judged by many of his biggest 2008 supporters on whether he fights for a strong public option at this critical moment."
Health reform and the deficit
A senior White House economic adviser is trying today to make the economic case for a health care overhaul.
Republicans and other critics are warning that the president's proposals to remake such a significant portion of the US economy could hurt growth, balloon the federal deficit, and pinch recession-weary families.
But Christina Romer, chairwoman of White House Council of Economic Advisers, plans to tell the liberal Center for American Progress this afternoon that the only way to get the deficit under control is to trim health care costs, particularly in the government Medicare and Medicaid programs.
"Given the central role of rising health care expenditures, any solution to our long-run budget problem will simply have to include slowing the growth rate of health care costs,” Romer will say, according to advance excerpts released by the White House.
"Some have argued that it is irresponsible to reform our health care system at a time when the budget deficit is so large and our long-run fiscal problems are so severe. I firmly believe the opposite: it is fiscally irresponsible not to do health care reform.
State and local governments and private businesses alike would benefit from the health overhaul, she asserts. "Slowing the growth rate of health care costs will enable firms to once again give raises in the form of take-home pay rather than more expensive health insurance,” Romer plans to say.
“[F]iscally prudent health care reform that expands coverage to tens of millions of Americans and transforms our health care system to one that is higher quality and lower cost is possible.”
Liberal group makes fun of insurer for denying coverage to chubby toddler
A liberal-labor coalition pushing the health care overhaul is going for a little humor in its attack on the insurance industry.
Americans United for Change today unveiled a satirical web video featuring the story of a four-month-old, 17-pound toddler in Colorado who was denied coverage because he was deemed obese -- a pre-existing condition -- by Rocky Mountain Health Plans, a member of America’s Health Insurance Plans the health insurance industry lobby
“Too fat?!?! You cannot be serious!” a character called "Patriot Baby" says in the video, reminiscent of the E*Trade TV commercials with an adult voice coming out of an infant. “He’s a baby! What’s he supposed to do -- go on 'The Biggest Loser'?”
Public option gains momentum
The public option -- one of the most contentious proposals in the health care fight -- might end up in the Senate health overhaul bill after all.
Several media organizations, including the New York Times and the Associated Press, are reporting this evening that there's no done deal, but there is movement toward including a provision for the federal government to sell insurance in direct competition with private insurers with individual states permitted to drop out of the system.
The Times says that the top Senate Democrat, Harry Reid, is leaning toward including the government-run health insurance plan in the bill he will soon take to the Senate floor. While Republicans and some moderate Democrats oppose the public option, those in favor of it are pushing Reid to force a vote to strip it out of the bill. "The idea is that it's better to show some fight," a senior Democratic aide told the Times.
Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, the only Republican to support the health care bill in the Senate Finance Committee, has made clear she would only support a public plan if it is triggered by private insurers not cutting costs and extending coverage enough.
House Democrats have the public option in the bill they are finalizing, without a provision for states to opt out.
Polls have also shown public support for a public plan to keep private insurers honest, but Republicans and other critics say it would lead to a government takeover of health care.
Democrats go after Steele
Democrats picked a big, highly visible target for the latest in their series of "call 'em out" missives -- GOP chief Michael Steele.
The Democratic National Committee today announced a multimedia effort aiming at the Republican Party chairman for "continuing to spread lies about health insurance reform."
It is using a website and a web video and urging supporters to use Facebook and Twitter to go after Steele, whom the DNC says is spreading misinformation by claiming, among other assertions, that the health care overhaul being pushed by President Obama and congressional Democrats would "dump" millions of Americans out of their insurance and would cut Medicare.
Americans divided on Obama health plan
The political pendulum has swung slightly away from President Obama on health care, though a majority of Americans still want an overhaul, and still want a public insurance option, a new poll says.
According to the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released this afternoon, 49 percent favor and 49 percent oppose the health overhaul. That's down from 51 percent support last month, though better than the 48 percent in late August after protestors at town halls railed against the president's plan.
The rest of the poll had better news for Obama.
A majority -- 53 percent -- said it would be better for the country to pass a bill along the lines proposed by the president instead of leaving the current health system in place.
The poll also found that 61 percent support a public option -- a government-run plan to compete with private insurers -- up from 55 percent in August. And 40 percent said they would support the overhaul bill only if it included the public option.
And respondents trust Obama far more than Republicans -- mocked by Democrats as the "party of no" -- on health care; 50 percent said they trust Obama more to deal with major health care changes, while 34 percent picked congressional Republicans.
The poll, conducted Friday through Sunday, has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Obama group passes 300,000 calls for health care
Pro-Obama groups said this morning they ended up at 315,023 calls to Congress on Tuesday pushing the health care overhaul, tripling the original goal of 100,000.
The massive effort was put together by Organizing for America, the president's grassroots group from the campaign. (Click here for updates.)
"As you know, we set a big goal: 100,000 calls to Congress placed or committed to in a single day by OFA supporters and allied organizations. By 2:30 p.m., you had crushed it. So, we gulped and said let's go for 200,000, not knowing what would happen. But the calls just kept pouring in -- keeping phones ringing off the hook in congressional offices in D.C. and your representatives' district offices around the country," the group's national director, Mitch Stewart, told supporters this morning.
"Then, OFA supporters gathered in over 1,000 living rooms and community centers from Macon, Georgia to Missoula, Montana. You called hundreds of thousands of key voters in your community and got them to agree to call Congress and speak out for reform, too. President Obama joined in at a call party in New York -- and he had some amazing words of support for the folks like you who make this movement possible."
Obama, himself, addressed thousands of supporters who are making calls via live webcast Tuesday night from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, where 2,500 people will be making similar calls in support of reform.
"You know why this is so important," he told them. "You know premiums have doubled over the past decade."
Republicans rake in cash, slam Reid
The Republican National Committee announced today that it is getting donations from a record number of small donors.
The RNC said that it raised $8.74 million in the month of September and had $18.9 million cash on hand at month's end with no debt. It averaged 2,400 new donors a day during the month, an off-year record and an increase of about 2,000 new donors per day since February, the RNC said.
The average donor contribution in September was $36, with a year to date average donation of about $41.
The RNC also unveiled its latest web video, slamming top Senate Democrat Harry Reid for negotiating the details of the health care overhaul in private.
The video has Reid promising transparency, saying, "No longer can we allow special interests and lawmakers to conspire behind closed doors." It also shows Obama making similar pledges.
But now, the video points out, Reid is working closely and privately with the White House to meld the version the Senate Finance Committee approved last week, and a more liberal version that the Senate health committee passed earlier.
They're talking in secret because they don't want the public to realize the health care bill would raise costs and mean a far greater government role, the announcer says.
"It may be Halloween, but the Democrats' intentions cannot be disguised," the announcer concludes.
Insurance industry defends study
The chief spokeswoman for the nation's private insurance companies is defending a report that many saw as the industry trying to kill the health care overhaul.
America's Health Insurance Plans issued the report just before the Senate Finance Committee voted last week, asserting that the bill would dramatically raise premiums. The report has been widely pilloried for not accounting for cost-saving measures in the bill. (To reach the entire bill, click here.)
In an opinion article in today's Washington Post, Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of AHIP, writes, "Let me be clear and direct: Health plans continue to strongly support reform. In fact, last year we proposed new insurance market rules and consumer protections to achieve universal coverage, remove restrictions on preexisting conditions and end the practice of basing premiums on health status or gender. We firmly believe that all the cost concerns the report raised can be resolved."
She adds, "The report's central finding has long been noncontroversial in health policy and economic circles: namely, that implementing reforms of the insurance market without a strong requirement that everyone participate will cause adverse selection and significantly increase costs for individuals and small businesses. This finding echoes the message President Obama delivered in his address to Congress last month."
But liberal groups supporting the health bills are continuing their assault on the insurance industry.
Americans United for Change released its latest ad today featuring an insurance horror story -- this one about a woman who purportedly was told she would have to be sterilized to keep coverage.
"The new spot is our latest salvo against the shameful practices of the health insurance industry, which finally dropped the ‘we want reform, too’ façade last week with AHIP’s release of that amazingly disingenuous “report” asserting of all things that reform would mean 'higher premiums' – laughable stuff coming from the folks that raised premiums three to four times faster than wages the last ten years," Americans United for Change said.
Poll: Concern among liberals on Obama health care stands
A new poll finds support rebounding for a public option and some discomfort with President Obama among his liberal allies.
The Washington Post/ABC News survey released this afternoon found that 57 percent of Americans favor a public insurance option, while 40 percent are opposed. But opinion continues to be split -- 45 percent for, 48 percent against -- for the overall health overhaul bills being debated in Congress.
Obama's aides repeated over the weekend that while the president prefers a bill that includes the public option -- a government-run plan to offer affordable coverage and to compete with private insurers -- he isn't wedded to it.
While 7 in 10 Democrats back the plan being put together, Obama's strong approval ratings on health care from fellow Democrats have dropped 15 percentage points since mid-September.
More broadly, while 57 percent approve of the way Obama is handling his job as president, "strong approval" among liberal Democrats is down 16 percentage points over the past month.
Liberals pressure Reid on public option
Liberals are ramping up the pressure on top Senate Democrat Harry Reid, one of the key players in the negotiations over the health care overhaul.
Trying to craft a plan that can draw at least 60 votes in the Senate, Reid, the White House, and other moderate and conservative Democrats are waffling on whether a "public option" -- a government-run plan to offer affordable coverage and compete with private insurers -- should be in the final bill. Worried liberals say that health reform without it would be less than half a loaf.
Today, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee unveiled a TV ad in Nevada, where Reid face re-election next year, and sent an email to 225,000 activists nationwide seeking to raise at least $100,000 online to air the spot 200 times.
It features Nevada nurse Lee Slaughter, who says she has spent 20 years providing critical care -- and seeing patients cut off because of insurance. "Now, it's happening to me," she says, saying that she broke both her hips and that her insurer isn't providing all the care she needs. broke both hips insurers
Slaughter says she's a swing voter for supported Reid and President Obama, and says that in 2010, she will vote on only one issue.
"I'm watching to see if Harry Reid is strong and effective enough as a leader to pass a public health insurance option into law," she says.
Obama slams insurers on health care bill
A health care bill within sight, President Obama aggressively takes on his critics who he says are trying to stop the overhaul by misleading and scaring Americans with dire warnings of higher premiums and other damage.
In his weekly radio-Internet address, Obama targets insurance companies, one-time allies who have gone on the attack, blasting a bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee this week.
"In fact, the insurance industry is rolling out the big guns and breaking open their massive war chest -- to marshal their forces for one last fight to save the status quo," Obama says. "They’re filling the airwaves with deceptive and dishonest ads. They’re flooding Capitol Hill with lobbyists and campaign contributions. And they’re funding studies designed to mislead the American people."
"It’s smoke and mirrors. It’s bogus. And it’s all too familiar," the president adds. "Every time we get close to passing reform, the insurance companies produce these phony studies as a prescription and say, “Take one of these, and call us in a decade.” Well, not this time. The fact is, the insurance industry is making this last-ditch effort to stop reform even as costs continue to rise and our health care dollars continue to be poured into their profits, bonuses, and administrative costs that do nothing to make us healthy – that often actually go toward figuring out how to avoid covering people. And they’re earning these profits and bonuses while enjoying a privileged exception from our anti-trust laws, a matter that Congress is rightfully reviewing."
Asserting that Americans voted for change when they made him their president, Obama urges Congress "to stand against the power plays and political ploys – and to stand up on behalf the American people who sent us to Washington to do their business."
The full address is below and can be viewed here.
Clinton counsels patience on health care, Afghanistan troop decision
Hillary Rodham Clinton -- former first lady, presidential contender, and now secretary of state -- knows painfully first-hand how difficult a lift health care is.
So she counsels patience as Congress and the White House tries to come up with a bill that can pass -- and that can work.
"I'm very encouraged by the action that's going on in the Senate. But I think I, probably better than anyone, know how difficult this is," she said in an interview aired on CNN today.
"But we've made a lot of progress in the last nine months. And I'm very optimistic we're going to get a health care plan that will really improve the lives of the American people," added Clinton, who led a White House health care task force in 1993-94 that submitted a detailed bill to Congress that was derided as "Hillarycare" and went nowhere.
In the interview, Clinton also preached patience on Obama's decision whether to dispatch more US troops to Afghanistan, saying that "it's to the president's credit that he has had the patience and the persistence to really force the process without responding prematurely."
The president, she said, needs to closely scrutinize the broad view of what the US mission in Afghanistan should be and how best to accomplish it, citing a recent strategic review.
"It was quite remarkable that the report came in with two big ideas that had not, in my view, been fully either explored or certainly implemented in the prior eight years," she said. "One was you've got to look at Afghanistan and Pakistan together. Now, that may sound self-evident. But that wasn't what was being done previously. And you have to have a much greater integration of the civilian and the military efforts."
The full transcript of Clinton's interview with CNN's Jill Dougherty, as provided by the network, is below:
Democrats bash insurance industry
The Democratic National Committee said today it is going after the insurance industry in the latest of its “Call ‘Em Out” series targeting those who it says is trying to mislead the public on the health care overhaul.
Democrats are criticizing an industry-funded study that said insurance premiums would rise under the bill approved Tuesday by the Senate Finance Committee and assailing an insurance industry ad campaign warning seniors of cuts in Medicare.
"After fighting health reform with lies, deceit, and multi-million dollar ad campaigns, the health insurance lobby -- America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) -- just released a report on the 'effects of health reform.' Surprise! It's full of flawed claims that reform would increase costs," the DNC told supporters in a email accompanying a video.
"We're not going to take it sitting down. So this week, we're calling out the health insurance lobby. The lobby has invested millions trying to convince Congress to oppose reform. So this week, we're not simply debunking lies: The best way to Call 'em Out is to cut through the spin and tell our representatives to say 'no' to deceitful lobbyists and 'yes' to reform. "
Obama calls on grassroots
President Obama is activating his grassroots army again, trying to get 100,000 of them to call Congress on a single day to push for health care.
Organizing for America's national director, Mitch Stewart, announced today that Obama will join thousands of "Time to Deliver" events on Oct. 20 via a live webcast
"These call parties couldn't come at a more important time -- the final Senate committee just passed their version of the plan, so the debate is about to move to the full Congress for the first time. And the insurance industry lobby is throwing everything they've got at us to distort the issues and derail progress. Our voices must be heard," Stewart said in an email to supporters.
Organizing for America, housed within the Democratic National Committee, is the post-election iteration of Obama's vaunted campaign organization.
League of Women Voters weighs in on health care
The nonpartisan, normally genteel League of Women Voters is taking the unusual step of airing a TV ad taking a tough issue position -- urging Americans to support the Democratic-supported health care overhaul.
The League said it is airing the 30-second spot in the home states of key senators, including Maine, where Olympia Snowe was the only Republican on the Finance Committee to support the bill on Tuesday and where fellow Republican Susan Collins suggested she might go along.
“Health care reform is a critically important issue for Americans – an issue that requires action from all of us,” League President Mary G. Wilson said in a statement. “After watching opponents of health care reform repeatedly attempt to scare people with lies and disorderly conduct, the League decided that we must speak up.”
“This is an unusual step for us. But as a nonpartisan membership organization that believes in reasoned and civil debate we felt compelled to take a stand against the lies and the distortions,” Wilson added.
“Health care is too important to let the nay-sayers and the special interests stand in the way of real reform. We have an obligation to get the facts straight.”
Insurers, unions criticize Finance health bill
Two major players in the health care debate -- Big Insurance and Big Labor -- are both registering their objections to the bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee.
But they're coming at it from far different vantage points.
America's Health Insurance Plans, which represents the big insurers, is airing a TV ad that criticizes the bill's provision that would trim Medicare Advantage, the premium coverage that seniors get through private insurers.
"Most people agree we need to reform health care but is it right to ask 10 million seniors on Medicare Advantage for more than their fair share," the announcer says.
The Democratic bills would cut Medicare Advantage by more than $120 billion over 10 years, meaning that 10 million seniors -- including 175,000 in Massachusetts -- could have their health plans shrink or be replaced with traditional coverage.
On the other hand, a dozen of the largest labor unions are taking out full-page ads in Washington and national newspapers complaining that the Finance bill does not include a public option -- a government-run plan to compete with private plans -- and does call for penalties on people who do not obtain coverage.
The ad, entitled "Our Bottom Line for Health Care Reform," says that "Unless the bill that goes to the floor of the U.S. Senate makes substantial progress to address the concerns of working men and women, we will oppose it."
When does a bill become bipartisan
The White House and Democrats were thrilled that Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine broke ranks with Republicans to give a bipartisan patina to the Senate Finance Committee's approval of a health care overhaul.
But Republicans predictably are not as impressed.
“One Republican vote out of 40 in the Senate does not bipartisan make,” GOP chairman Michael Steele said today on Fox News Channel.
“You’ve got a long way to go Mr. President before you get to bipartisanship in terms of really putting together a bill that makes sense,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that there could be a second Republican vote for the health care bill -- Snowe's fellow Mainer, Susan Collins.
Collins said that the bill approved on a 14-9 vote Tuesday by the Finance Committee needs substantial improvements. "My hope is we that can fix the flaws in the bill and come together with a truly bipartisan bill that could garner widespread support," Collins said in the AP interview. "I think this bill is far superior to the ones passed by the Senate [health]) committee and the three House committees, but it needs substantial additional work."
Steele said the health package would have to be far different to draw more Republican support. “If it doesn’t have triggers for a government plan, if it doesn’t have little hidden mechanisms and features that Congress is famous for doing that ultimately gets us on a road to government controlled health care, I think you will see a lot of Republican support,” he said on Fox.
Obama gets back to health care
Back from a failed bid to bring back the 2016 Summer Olympics to Chicago, President Obama returns today to the issue he initially said would keep him too busy to go to Copenhagen to make the sales pitch in person.
In his weekly radio-Internet address, Obama asserts that his health care overhaul would help America's small businesses, which he says a crucial job engine but are being "overwhelmed by rising health care costs."
Obama, who also plans a health care event on Monday, bringing doctors from across the country to the White House, says health costs are stopping budding entrepreneurs from going out on their own because they're afraid to lose their health coverage and preventing firms from growing and hiring more workers.
The health care legislation before Congress will allow small businesses to buy health insurance through a new exchange where they can compare policies and will offer tax credits to help them pay for it, the president says
"These small businesses are the mom and pop stores and restaurants, beauty shops and construction companies that support families and sustain communities. They’re the small startups with big ideas, hoping to be the next Google, or Apple, or HP. Altogether, they create roughly half of all new jobs." he says.
"So we know that reforming our health insurance system will be a critical step in rebuilding our economy so that our entrepreneurs can pursue the American Dream again, and our small businesses can grow and expand and create new jobs again."
The full address is below and can be viewed here.
Liberal group goes after Boehner
A liberal-labor coalition is trying to keep up its support for a "public option" in the health care overhaul -- and going after House Republican leader John Boehner in the bargain.
Americans United for Change unveiled a new TV ad airing on cable TV in Boehner's district in Ohio that attacks what they call his "laughable claim" that “I’m still trying to find the first American to talk to who is in favor of the public option” as part of health insurance reform.
It says that Boehner is out of touch with his constituents, noting a recent Quinnipiac University poll showing that 57 percent of Ohio voters support the idea of a government-run option as part of the health care overhaul.
“Maybe Congressman Boehner should spend a little less time schmoozing with lobbyists on golf courses in Florida and a lot more time talking to his constituents back home about the kind of health insurance reform they are demanding," Tom McMahon, acting executive director of Americans United for Change, said in a statement.
Obama lauds Senate Finance action on health bill
President Obama hailed the Senate Finance Committee's endorsement early this morning of a health care overhaul that follows most of his principles -- a major step in his push for reform.
“Thanks to the unyielding commitment of Senator Baucus and members of the Senate Finance Committee, we have reached another milestone in our effort to pass health insurance reform," the president said in a statement. "Over the past two weeks, the Committee has engaged in long hours of thoughtful deliberation and vigorous debate. They have considered hundreds of amendments, and incorporated many of the best ideas from both parties. And they have shown a spirit of civility, a seriousness of purpose, and a willingness to compromise that embodies our democratic process at its very best.
“The Finance Committee’s work is the culmination of tireless efforts over the better part of this year by the five committees and many members of Congress involved in health reform -- holding numerous hearings and bi-partisan meetings; reaching out to stakeholders across the spectrum; and striving to find common ground. As a result of this work, we are now closer than ever before to finally passing reform that will offer security to those who have coverage and affordable insurance to those who don’t. We have a long way to go, but I am confident that as we move forward, we will continue to engage with each other as productively as the members of the Finance Committee, and will get reform passed this year,” Obama added.
The Finance Committee put off a final vote until next week so congressional budget officials can certify the $900 billion bill does not add to federal deficits. Then, Senate Democrats and the White House will have to try to meld the bill with one passed earlier by the Senate health committee.
Obama announces medical research grants
President Obama, who vows to support science in contrast to his predecessor, is touring one of the nation's epicenters for research today to announce that $5 billion in grants have been awarded for cutting-edge work.
Obama is at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., and is announcing that the institute has already handed out more than 12,000 grants from the $10 billion it received from the economic stimulus package he championed.
He said the grants are expected to create tens of thousands of jobs over the next two years and are part of a total of $100 billion in the stimulus package that is broadly going to science and technology.
“We know that this kind of investment will also lead to new jobs: tens of thousands of jobs conducting research, manufacturing and supplying medical equipment, and building and modernizing laboratories and research facilities,” Obama said in a statement. “I’ve long said, the goal of the Recovery Act was not to create make-work jobs, but jobs making a difference for our future. There is no better example than the jobs we will produce or preserve through the grants we are announcing this morning.”
The grants include $1 billion for research, using the technology produced by the Human Genome Project, to study genetic changes linked to cancer, heart, lung, and blood disease and autism -- in hopes of finding new treatments and cures. Of the money, $175 million will go to collect more than 20,000 tissue samples from more than 20 cancers, and determine in detail all of the genetic changes in thousands of these tumor samples.
“This historic investment demonstrates this administration’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of science and turning those discoveries into benefits for the American people. NIH researchers and grantees are already conducting some of the world’s most groundbreaking biomedical research," added Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who is accompanying Obama on the tour. “These awards will accelerate our progress towards the new medicines, treatments, and cures that will help Americans live longer, healthier lives."
UPDATE: Senators John Kerry and Paul Kirk today announced that Massachusetts will receive a total of $434,036,356 in Recovery Act funding for cutting edge medical research. The funding comes in the form of 1,148 separate grants for 84 schools and organizations across the state.
The funding will be used to support the full spectrum of medical research – from clinical studies to basic research.
“These significant investments in medical research across Massachusetts will save lives, create jobs and ensure that our state remains a world leader in medical technology,” said Senator John Kerry. “12,000 grants were awarded nationwide and more than 1,000 right here in our state. I'm grateful that President Obama has once again recognized the cutting edge work being done by our medical institutions.”
Senator Paul G. Kirk said, “These grants are well-deserved and will enable our world class universities, hospitals and research centers across the Commonwealth to continue their groundbreaking work in medical research. Massachusetts is and will continue to be a leader in this field, and I commend the Obama Administration for committing these essential funds.”
Obama's full remarks are below:
FULL ENTRYThe white coat calvary
President Obama has had doctors and nurses by his side as he pitches his health care plans.
Now, his political group wants to put the medical professionals in new TV ads to rebuild public support for an overhaul of the health care system.
"The cavalry is here -- and they're in white coats and scrubs: More than a half a million doctors and millions of nurses are joining forces to help pass real health reform. Americans listen to their nurses and doctors when it comes to health reform -- and for good reason. If we can help them amplify their voices, it'll be a huge boost to our campaign for change," Mitch Stewart, national director of Organizing for America, told supporters in a fund-raising solicitation today.
Stewart said the group is trying to come up with $300,000 by Thursday for the ad, which would note that the reform effort has the backing of the American Medical Association and a dozen other physicians groups representing 500,000 doctors, plus the American Nurses Association and other organizations representing millions of nurses.
Liberal web ad mocks GOP health plan
A liberal-labor group supporting President Obama and the Democrats on health care has a new web ad that uses a more humorous, tongue-in-cheek approach to make the case that Republicans don't have a plan to offer.
The video from Americans United for Change puts together clips of various Republican lawmakers to argue that the GOP plan for those without insurance is to go to emergency rooms and seek charity care; for those seeking better benefits to get a federal government job; and for those trying to cut costs by dropping maternity care.
"This has been Republican Party health care solutions," the video ends.
Democrats call out Republicans for scaring seniors
Democrats are keeping up their assault on Republicans for what they say is scaring seniors by warning of cuts in benefits that would come from the health care overhaul.
The new TV ad today from the Democratic National Committee cites news reports that question the truthfulness of the Republican critiques and the AARP conclusion that Republicans are using "scare tactics." The spot is clearly aimed at the elderly set, down to the key points appearing on a billboard and on a piece of paper inserted into an ancient Royal typewriter.
The ad asserts that instead of cuts, seniors will benefit from lower prescription drug costs and premium payments.
While Republican accusations that the Democratic bills could lead to rationing of care have been largely debunked, independent analysts say that the GOP does have a point when it comes to a portion of the Medicare program. Under the Democratic proposals, more than 10 million seniors enrolled in an enhanced, private version of Medicare known as Medicare Advantage could have their coverage shrink or be replaced with traditional plans.
Halloween coming early on health, liberal group says
As the Senate Finance Committee today voted against including in the health care overhaul a government-run public option to compete with private insurers, the back-and-forth continues over an existing government program.
After Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus complained about a mailer sent by Humana, one of the nation's largest insurers, warning seniors that they could lose important Medicare benefits under the Democratic health care bills, Health and Human Services ordered Humana and other private companies that contract with Medicare to stop sending customers information about the overhaul's potential effects on their benefits.
While Democrats deny that the bills would cut Medicare benefits, the Congressional Budget Office and independent analysts said some seniors could lose some enhanced benefits under the Medicare Advantage program .
Republican leaders responded late last week by warning HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that they will block confirmations of any agency appointees until she lifts what they call the "gag order" on insurers.
Today, the liberal-labor coalition Americans United for Change unveiled a new TV spot going after Humana and the Republicans.
The Halloween-themed ad accuses the insurance industry and its GOP allies of resorting to fear tactics.
"This year Halloween comes early for health insurance giant Humana," the announcer says. "Humana is sending letters to its senior citizen policy holders intended to frighten them into opposing health insurance reform. The letters say health insurance reform threatens their Medicare benefits. AARP says: that’s just not true."
"But we shouldn’t be surprised," the announcer says as images of Republican leaders in various costumes flit across the screen. "Whether it’s the insurance companies or their Republican allies, the case against health insurance reform always gets down to one word."
"Boo!" it says on screen.
Baucus did not include a public option in his draft plan, largely because he does not believe that a bill that includes it would pass the Senate. Liberal groups launched a new TV ad this week in his home state trying to pressure him to change his mind.
But Senator Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, is proposing a public plan modeled on Medicare, the government program for the elderly.
President Obama has said he prefers a public option, but is not firmly wedded to it, as long as there is competition for private insurers.
Poll: Support rebounding for health overhaul
The latest health care poll is also the most recent to suggest that the battering the Democratic bills took during the protests and shouting that met August congressional town halls has dissipated as the focus returned to Capitol Hill.
According to the sixth tracking poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 57 percent of Americans believe that tackling health care reform is more important than ever, up from 53 percent in August. The proportion of Americans who believe their families would be better off after an overhaul is up six percentage points to 42 percent and the proportion who think that the country would be better off is up eight points to 53 percent.
Also according to the survey, most Americans support the principles at the core of the bills supported by President Obama and congressional Democrats, including a requirement that individuals obtain coverage (68 percent), a mandate that most employers offer coverage (67 percent), and an expansion of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (82 percent).
Majorities also back "having health insurance companies pay a fee based on how much business they have” and “having health insurance companies pay a tax for offering very expensive policies,” according to Kaiser.
The Kaiser poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, was conducted Sept. 11-18 -- just after Obama gave a nationally televised address to Congress to lay out what he wanted in a health care bill. He has kept up the drumbeat for reform since with rallies and repeated TV appearances.
Other polls have also shown rebounding support for reform after the drumbeat of criticism led by conservative activists and Republicans in August drove down the numbers.
Liberals press Baucus on public option
Liberal groups are trying to intensify the pressure on Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus on the eve of his panel's vote whether to include a "public option" -- a government-run plan to compete with private insurers -- in its bill.
Seeking support from moderate Democrats and Republicans, Baucus did not include it in his draft. The finance committee is expected to vote Tuesday.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America are airing an ad in Baucus's home state of Montana and in Washington, D.C., featuring a Billings man as a real-life example of the need for a public option.
Bing Perrine says he had to have heart surgery, but didn't have insurance. While friends and strangers held bake sales and other fund-raisers, he still owes $100,000, he says in the ad.
Perrine goes on to assert that Baucus has received nearly $4 million in campaign contributions from health care interests.
"Senator Baucus, when you take millions of dollars from health and insurance interests that oppose reform, and oppose giving families like mine the choice of a public option, I have to ask: 'Whose side are you on?' the Montana farmer asks.
GOP, Democrats trade charges on health plan
A new GOP web ad aims straight for the sensitive spot in the health care overhaul from President Obama and Democrats -- that the proposals would mean higher taxes.
The ad claims that the bills would mean taxes on tests, scans and X-rays; on medical supplies; and on charities and small businesses. “Hundreds of billions in new taxes, all of it passed right back to the consumer,” the announcer says over images of a laughing Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and top Senate Democrat Harry Reid, juxtaposed with worried consumers.
The GOP ad then notes that the bill calls for a penalty for those who don't obtain health insurance, though it doesn't mention that there would be subsidies to help them: “And if you think you can’t afford it, you can’t afford not to, because they’ve even proposed a tax for not having health insurance.”
Obama has insisted that the penalty does not amount to a tax increase, but many independent observers disagree and the ad shows the dictionary definition.
"Obama health care taxes,” the announcer concludes. “Wrong for health care. ”
“For months, President Obama has tried to convince the American people that his government-run health care experiment will be all gain and no pain, but they aren’t buying it," Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele said in a statement. "The fact is, his plan contains huge new taxes that will harm the economy and cost more jobs. Democrats are paying for their dangerous experiment with higher taxes on small business owners, charitable giving, and even middle-class families who can least afford it. I encourage President Obama to abandon these health care taxes and set a course for a truly bipartisan bill that embraces reforms Americans actually want and need.”
Democrats, however, argue that the Senate Finance bill does not include any mandate on employers and that both businesses and individuals would end up eventually benefiting from lower health care costs.
"Apparently undeterred by the facts, the RNC is again relying on scare-tactics to ‘kill’ health insurance reform in a new web video released today," the Democratic National Committee said in its response. "The RNC’s latest attempt to mislead voters accuses the President of being 'in denial' over 'new taxes' that the RNC claims would result from reform. The only person guilty of that charge, however, is the Republican Party’s own Chairman who just this morning on Fox News denied that this country’s 'health care system' was 'going broke.' ”
For its part, the Democratic National Committee today sent out an email bashing House Republican leader John Boehner -- the second missive in its "Call 'em out" campaign targeting Republicans for repeating "falsehoods" about the Democratic proposals.
"As the Republican leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, John Boehner could use his important position to forge honest consensus around reforms that most Americans overwhelmingly support. Sadly, Boehner is choosing to be a leading peddler of health reform lies instead," says the email to supporters, urging them to criticize Boehner on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and to write letters to the editor.
"When Boehner repeated his claim that reform would result in a government takeover of health care, it was clear he's been too busy trying to score political points to read the overwhelming evidence -- including a post from the non-partisan FactCheck.org -- debunking this claim," the email continues. "And cruelly scaring seniors with lies about benefit cuts, even though his own party voted to gut Medicare? On his side of the aisle, that's become standard operating procedure. Then of course there's Boehner's blatant lie that reform will provide taxpayer-funded abortions, a claim rejected even by groups that oppose abortion. His lies have been thoroughly debunked, but John Boehner just won't stop -- so we're calling him out."
Boehner responded to the Democrats' attack: "There's a reason why the majority of Americans oppose the Democrats' government takeover of health care, $500 billion in Medicare cuts, tax hikes, and mountains of new debt on our kids and grandkids. It's because they are in their bill. Try as they might, Democrats have a major credibility problem. Americans don't trust them with their health care, and they shouldn't."
Republicans warn HHS on Medicare mailers
Senate Republicans ratcheted up their assault today on the Health and Human Services Department for cracking down on an insurance company for a mailer the agency said was scaring seniors.
The GOP leaders warned HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that they will block confirmations of any agency appointees until she lifts what they call a "gag order" on insurers that is "without apparent justification or basis in law."
"America’s seniors and the health plans that serve them deserve to have their free speech rights respected," they wrote. "Their rights should not be subject to the whims of any administration, and the health plans that serve them should not be threatened with punishment if they speak out on a matter of public concern simply because the administration disagrees with their position."
(The full letter is below.)
According to the office of Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, there are at least 10 vacant posts covered by the hold: Surgeon General, Assistant Secretary for Resources, Assistant Secretary for Planning, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Commissioner of the Administration for Children, Commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Administrator for Substance Abuse, and General Counsel.
"They have ten vacancies of people they are trying to get appointed to the administration," McConnell said on Fox Business Network this afternoon. "None of those people will get through the Senate easily until they lift the gag order."
He also accused Democrats of skirting the truth on Medicare. "I think the Democratic majority is undeterred by the facts. The facts are that they are trying to cut Medicare. They are certainly cutting Medicare Advantage...It's astonishing."
Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus had complained about the mailer sent by Humana Inc., warning seniors that they could lose important benefits under the Democratic health care bills. HHS launched an investigation and ordered Humana and other private companies that contract with Medicare to stop sending customers information about the overhaul's potential effects on their benefits.
While Democrats deny that the bills would cut Medicare benefits, the Congressional Budget Office and independent analysts said some seniors could lose some enhanced benefits. The Globe reported today that more than 10 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage could see their plans shrink or be replaced by traditional coverage.
Republicans call for more focus on Afghanistan, not health care
House Republican leaders added their voices today to those who say the focus on health care on Capitol Hill is crowding out other crucial issues, namely what to do in Afghanistan.
“With Afghanistan now becoming such a very troublesome issue, we should be making progress on health care so it doesn’t get in the way of a very, very important national security issue,” Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the No. 2 House Republican, told reporters after a private GOP meeting. “Central Asia is the Persian Gulf of the 21st century. We are foolish to be ignoring that threat right now."
"Health care in this building has made it so that it seems we can't get anything else done. We have burning issues out there is this country," Cantor added.
Obama, who is weighing a revamped strategy for Afghanistan and whether to send even more reinforcements than the 21,000 he has already dispatched, is likely to need Republican support for whatever he decides because the vast majority of Democrats are opposed to any escalation of the US mission.
"With all the attention there is on health care, the attention that needs to be paid to what is happening in Afghanistan isn’t happening,” added Representative John Boehner, the House Republican leader.
He and other key lawmakers have demanded that General Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander in Afghanistan, appear before House and Senate committees to explain his report to the White House that calls for additional troops.
"What strategy does he believe is going to be necessary in order to secure Afghanistan so that we deny the Taliban and al Qaeda a safe haven from which to train, operate and organize to come after Americans again? And so, we need General McChrystal up here as soon as possible to help members understand. I think the President ought to take his request as soon as possible,” Boehner added.
“I do believe that there is a lot of danger in the delay. First, with insufficient troops in the field, we put the troops that we do have there at greater risk. Secondly, if the President doesn’t come to a decision soon—what will happen is— we will miss the window of getting more troops into the theater as the spring thaw occurs, when the additional troops are going to be necessary. And so, I would hope that the timetable that’s been discussed by the Administration gets sped up, and gets sped up rapidly.”
As the Globe reported on Monday, some lawmakers and advocates are chafing that the sluggish pace on a health care overhaul has backed up priorities including climate change, transportation, and financial regulation.
On Fox Business Network this afternoon, Boehner said House Democrats should realize that their plan, with a government-run public option, is not going to get through.
"They're still moving in the direction of those big government plan, high taxes and big deficits. At some point it's going to become clear that this can't pass. I don't know whether that's three weeks from now, four weeks from now, six weeks from now, but at some point it's going to become clear," Boehner said.
"And then they're going to have to make a decision - do they accept the defeat or do they hit the reset button and scrap all these big government ideas and work with Republicans to make our current system work better."
Kerry strikes back at GOP complaints on health care
Senator John F. Kerry, who has picked up some of the health care mantle from the late Edward M. Kennedy, lashed out today at Republicans complaining that the issue is being rushed.
“Only in Washington could people argue that we’ve rushed this process,” Kerry said in a statement. “This has been America’s battle for decades, and those suffering in a broken system cannot afford the political gaming of stall and delay – they simply will not survive it. We are going to get this done. I’ve been confident of that all along, and I’m confident of it now. We’re going to do it because we have to and because it is the right thing to do. And in the end, I think, we will show something about the character and the compassion of the American people.”
As the Senate Finance Committee started deliberating and amending a proposal from Chairman Max Baucus, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the panel's senior Republican, said the mid-September deadline preempted bipartisan talks. "I find it utterly and completely appalling," he said.
Baucus unveiled his bill last weeks after months of negotiations toward a possible bipartisan deal proved fruitless.
Kerry's full statement to the committee is below:
Biden sounds warning on health premiums
In one of his first forays into the thick of the health care debate, Vice President Joe Biden today used a new White House report on premium increases to warn that without an overhaul, families will face higher and higher costs.
"The status quo of rising premiums is simply unsustainable for families, for businesses, for state budgets, and for our national economy," Biden told state insurance commissioners.
According to the White House report, the national average annual family premium for employer-sponsored health insurance rose to $13,375 in 2009, up 5.5 percent during a recession when overall inflation fell by 0.7 percent. The report found that families’ premiums have gone up between 90 percent and 150 percent over the last decade, depending on the state, far faster than wages and inflation.
In Massachusetts, premiums jumped 119 percent between 1999 and 2009, nearly three times the 35 percent increase in wages, according to the report.
Click here for the full report.
Biden's full remarks are below:
Trial lawyers fight back on malpractice
With President Obama opening the door a crack to tort reform as part of a health care overhaul, the nation's trial lawyers are trying to slam it shut again.
The American Association for Justice announced today it is launching what it called the first phase of a nationwide ad campaign "to educate lawmakers about the epidemic of preventable medical errors and how tort law changes won’t lower costs or cover the uninsured."
The ads, running in Washington publications and on online news sites, say the estimated 98,000 deaths from preventable medical errors is “like two 737s crashing every day for a whole year.”
But the ad concludes: “Would we blame the passengers or the airlines?”
The group, formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, also has a website on the issue.
“Our health care system is clearly broken, and if we are serious about improving it, we need to fix preventable medical errors,” AAJ President Anthony Tarricone said in a statement. “This new ad campaign gives Congress 98,000 reasons why they should put patients’ health first – before the profits of insurance companies. If we work to improve our health care system and reduce medical errors – rather than strip people of their rights – there would be far fewer victims that need legal recourse.”
Obama, in his speech to Congress earlier this month, said while he didn't see malpractice reform as a "silver bullet," he was open to looking at ways to decrease "defensive medicine," when doctors order extra tests and procedures to avoid malpractice lawsuits.
Last week, the White House followed up by announcing $25 million in grants to help states and health care systems test models designed to compensate patients for malpractice but also reduce frivolous lawsuits and lower insurance premiums paid by doctors.
Health care, the four-minute version
The health care bills in Congress run to the hundreds of pages -- not surprising since they would remake a huge chunk of the US economy.
But in a new video today, the White House that suggests that all Americans need to know can be summarized much more briefly.
"The Obama Plan in Four Minutes" shows the president explaining the basic benefits -- both for those with and without insurance -- in his speech this month to a joint session of Congress. The video ends with Obama's clarion calI for action, with him imploring lawmakers, "Now's the time to deliver on health care."
Meanwhile, with Obama busy at the United Nations on Wednesday, giving a major speech to the General Assembly, Vice President Joe Biden will pick up the slack on health care.
Biden, joined by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and White House health reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle, will lead a discussion in Silver Spring, Md., on "how health insurance reform will lower costs, cut waste, and improve health care quality for seniors across the country," the White House announced this afternoon.
With Biden taking a larger role in the health care debate, Republicans gleefully reminded that earlier this month, the vice president joked, "I do foreign policy, I don't do health care."
In his remarks at the Brookings Institution, Biden went on to say that one reason why is that foreign policy is "a lot easier than health care, and a lot less complicated." "And that's not a joke," he said.
Hillary Clinton predicts success for Obama health plan
On the same day that current first lady Michelle Obama jumped into the fray on health care, the last first lady to take on the issue expressed optimism that President Obama's plan will be approved.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose "Hillarycare" was soundly rebuffed in the mid-1990s, promoted her experience on health care in her campaign against Obama in the Democratic primaries, saying she had the scars to prove it.
"It won't be pretty. It's like sausage-making. But we will end up with a bill for the president to sign that will be an advance," Clinton, now Obama's secretary of state, said today at the Brookings Institution. "We all have to calm down here, take two aspirin, go to bed, think about it in the morning."
First lady joins health care fight
President Obama called on his better half today to help make his sales pitch on health care as his overhaul plan faces brickbats from both the left and right.
First lady Michelle Obama spoke to a family-themed event sponsored by the White House Council on Women and Girls after women had told their stories of health care hardship.
According to the press pool report, the testimony came from a widow with a teenage son who had trouble finding affordable coverage, a cancer survivor who had to declare bankruptcy due to her copay and out-of-pocket costs, and a woman who has a non-cancerous lump in her breast but no insurance and who sat in the first lady's box for the president's health care speech to Congress last week.
Similar stories are happening all over the country because women are " being crushed -- crushed -- by the current structure of our health care," Michelle Obama said. "Crushed."
"This is why we are fighting so hard for health insurance reform," the first lady declared. "This is the face of the fight....People are hurting in this country right now."
And women "know the pain, because we are the ones dealing with it," she added, noting that in most families, mothers are dealing with the health care of their children, relatives, and often their husbands, as well, drawing laughter from the audience that included members of the Business and Professional Women, the YWCA, the Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and the National Council of Negro Women.
The first lady also told the story of her daughter Sasha, who at four months old contracted meningitis, and said she often wonders what would have happened if the Obamas didn't have a good pediatrician and generous insurance.
She said it's "still shocking to me" and it keeps her up at night that women are denied coverage or charged more for insurance, and that many policies don't cover basic services that women need.
"The status quo is unacceptable. It is holding women and families back," Michelle Obama said, then going on to explain major elements of the president's plan.
"I think this is a pretty reasonable plan, I don't know about you," she said, urging the audience to "mobilize like you've never mobilized before" over the next few weeks to educate people about the plan and to rebut false allegations.
"No longer can we sit by and watch the debate take on a life of it own. Now, more than ever, we have to channel our passions into change."
Also according to the press pool report, the first lady plans similar health care events, though not in the next two weeks, when she will be busy with United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York, the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh, and the International Olympic Committee meeting in Copenhagen, when the executive committee will choose the host for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The first lady, who previously has made helping military families her signature issue, has a significantly higher favorability rating these days than her husband.
In the most recent poll measuring both, Gallup found in April that 72 percent of Americans had a favorable impression of Michelle Obama and only 17 percent unfavorable, compared to a 69 percent favorable-28 percent unfavorable split for her husband.
The president's favorability rating has dropped since, during the heated battle over health care, to 63 percent in a Washington Post/ABC News survey earlier this month.
Her full remarks today are below:
Calling out health critics
In his recent stump speeches on health care, one of President Obama's big applause lines has been a warning to his opponents:
"I won't stand by while special interests do the same old tricks to keep things exactly the way they are....If you misrepresent what’s in the plan, we'll call you out. We will call you out," he told a rally at the University of Maryland on Thursday.
Today, the Democratic National Committee followed up by launching a new "Call ‘Em Out” campaign to help "set the record straight on GOP lies, scare tactics, and mistruths on health insurance reform" with emails and other missives to activists.
The target of the first call to action is Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, a potential Republican challenger to Obama in 2012, who the DNC says is embracing the "salacious and thoroughly debunked charge of death panels" -- committees of bureaucrats who would decide end-of-life care under the health overhaul. The DNC also put up a web video slamming Pawlenty.
"The message to Tim Pawlenty and the opponents of change who would lie or misrepresent the truth should be clear: you are not going to get away with it," DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a statement. "We are going to respond forcefully and consistently with the facts and you will no longer be able to peddle your lies with impunity. Through tools like 'Call 'Em Out,' you will be met with aggressive push back from our supporters who will be armed with the facts and who will hold you accountable for playing politics with the most important issues facing our country today.”
But even many Democrats acknowledge that Republican and other critics of the health care bills got the upper hand during the August congressional recess, making it more difficult to pass a bill.
Also today, Organizing for America, Obama's grassroots political arm housed within the DNC, launched a new TV ad that uses footage from the Thursday rally where the enthusiastic crowd joins the president's chant of "Fired up, ready to go."
Obama tries to rally young behind health care
President Obama took his health care pitch to a college campus today, telling a cheering crowd at the University of Maryland that he is keeping his promise to not just clean up the messes he inherited, but build a better future.
In a message tailored for the young people who powered his campaign, Obama said his domestic agenda is designed to "ensure your generation" has the same opportunities as his.
He specifically mentioned that Congress is on the cusp of overhauling the student loan system to make it simpler and cheaper for students. "That's the change you worked for, that's the change you voted for, that's the change I will deliver," he said.
The president said another defining struggle for the younger generation is his push for sweeping changes to the nation's health care system. While young people might think they're immune from health problems, one third have trouble paying their medical bills, he said.
Despite all the machinations on the details of the health care bills, Obama said the bottom-line issue is simpler:
"It's about what kind of country you want to be. You gave time to this campaign because you believe America can still do great things.
"I may not be the first president to take up the cause of health care reform," he said. "I am determined to be the last -- with your help."
His full remarks are below:
FULL ENTRYAn experiment on malpractice reform
The part of President Obama's health care speech last week that many Republicans liked most was when he suggested he'd be open to changes on medical malpractice.
"I don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I've talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs," Obama told Congress. "So I'm proposing that we move forward on a range of ideas about how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine."
Today, the White House followed up, announcing a $25 million demonstration project to help states and health care systems test models with the following goals: "Put patient safety first and work to reduce preventable injuries; foster better communication between doctors and their patients; ensure that patients are compensated in a fair and timely manner for medical injuries, while also reducing the incidence of frivolous lawsuits; and reduce liability premiums."
"This is an area we know we can do better," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters today. "As many as 98,000 Americans die every year from medical errors. And though malpractice premiums themselves count for only a small percentage of total medical costs, many doctors report that they practice costly defensive medicine because they are fearful of lawsuits."
Tort reform has long been a goal of Republicans and doctors -- and long opposed by trial lawyers who are among the most generous donors to Democrats.
The trial lawyers association immediately weighed in with its concerns.
“Any changes to the malpractice system must focus on patient safety and preventable medical errors, not limiting patients’ legal rights," American Association for Justice President Anthony Tarricone said in a statement.
“The goals outlined by the White House – such as reducing the number of injuries, fostering better communication, compensating patients quicker, and reducing doctors’ premiums – move the debate in the right direction. However, 46 states have already enacted tort reform and health care costs continue to hurt the pocketbooks of American families. Because of these tort reforms, patients injured through no fault of their own are often unable to seek justice.
“It is critical that these demonstration projects preserve Americans’ 7th Amendment right to a trial by jury. The details matter significantly, but any efforts to limit patients’ rights are not acceptable. Promoting greater patient safety and reducing preventable medical errors are tenets doctors, attorneys, hospitals, and all Americans can support.”
UPDATE: "I don't think it's a silver bullet, but I want to explore the ideas," Obama told a health care rally today at the University of Maryland.
But Republicans are skeptical, to say the least.
"The half-trillion in Medicare cuts, the tax hikes, expansion of government health care and nearly a trillion dollars in spending—all real, all supported by the administration. But the 'bipartisan outreach” on medical liability reform is a “demonstration project?' Really?" Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's office said in a statement.
"And looking over their proposal, it’s difficult to find any reference to any of the typical medical liability provisions, such as: limits on punitive damages, appropriate standards for awarding punitive damages, limits on non-economic damages, limits on attorneys’ fees, requirements for proportional or 'fair share' liability (no joint and several liability), reasonable statute of limitations."
Obama's proclamation on the initiative can be viewed here, and the White House background paper is below.
FULL ENTRYBaucus unveils health care bill
He doesn't have any Republican support, and many Democrats aren't all that thrilled, either. But Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus stuck to his deadline and this morning formally unveiled his plan to overhaul the nation's health care system.
The bill would cost about $856 billion over the next 10 years, require all individuals to purchase coverage or pay a fine, and ban insurers from charging more or denying coverage to people with health problems. It does not include the public option -- a government plan along the lines of Medicare -- but does call for nonprofit coops to compete with private insurers.
The bill would create a new exchange where consumers could compare and buy insurance plans. Medicaid, the government health care program for the poor, would be expanded.
Baucus would pay for the expansion of care with $507 billion in cuts to government health programs and $349 billion in new taxes and fees, including a new tax on generous insurance plans -- so-called Cadillac coverage -- and new fees on insurance companies and medical device manufacturers.
Click here to see "America's Healthy Future Act of 2009."
The Senate Finance bill is expected to be the vehicle for the proposals sought by the White House and described by President Obama in his speech to Congress last week.
"We will act and pass health reform legislation this year," Baucus declared as he promoted his bill in a Capitol Hill news conference this afternoon, saying that it would expand coverage, slow the rise in health care costs, and keep insurers honest.
"It follows the criteria laid out by President Obama," Baucus said, adding that the bill will eventually draw bipartisan support.
"This is a good bill, this is a balanced bill," Baucus said, calling it "a common-sense bill that can pass the Senate."
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs called the legislation an "important building block" that "gets us closer to comprehensive health care reform."
The legislation protects Medicare and preserves patients' right to keep their doctor, he continued, while keeping the deficit under control by offering the most generous coverage possible while keeping the price tag under Obama's target of $900 billion over 10 years.
Still, he acknowledged that there are "honest and principled differences" on the proposals and that his plan "may not represent all of our first choices."
UPDATE: The top House Republican wasn't buying the Baucus plan.
“It looks like the same kind of plan we’ve seen in House," said Representative John Boehner of Ohio. "It’s got a little different language, but it’s still a big government plan, it still calls for higher taxes and more spending and I don’t think it is going to get enough support to get very far in the United States Senate.”
Despite months of negotiations, however, Baucus was unable to get the three Republicans in the so-called Gang of Six to sign on. One of them, Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, bemoaned what he called an "artificial deadline."
"I’m disappointed because it looks like we’re being pushed aside by the Democratic leadership so the Senate can move forward on a bill that, up to this point, does not meet the shared goals for affordable, accessible health coverage that we set forth when this process began. In addition to concerns about costs to taxpayers and affordability for individuals, there are still some serious outstanding issues that have yet to be resolved like preventing taxpayer funding of abortion services and the enforcement against subsidies for illegal aliens," Grassley said in a statement.
"On top of all that, there’s no guarantee that a Finance Committee bill, even if it becomes bipartisan, will stay that way after it leaves the committee. An overriding issue for some time has been the fact that members of the Democratic leadership haven’t made a commitment to back a broad bipartisan bill through the entire process," added Grassley, who negotiated along with Republicans Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Olympia Snowe of Maine.
But in an op-ed published in today's Wall Street Journal, Baucus said he couldn't wait any longer.
"Health care is a complicated and deeply personal issue; it takes time and effort to get reform right. Legislating every piece of this puzzle would be impossible and counterproductive," he wrote. "What we can do is seize this opportunity to put America back on a fiscally sustainable path. The Senate Finance Committee proposal builds on what already works and fixes what threatens to break the bank for future generations."
Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 Democrat in the House, said he considers the Baucus bill "a draft" for subsequent negotiation. He said on MSNBC that the House will pass a bill that offers more protections and more coverage -- and that would also be more expensive than the Senate bill, closer to $1 billion.
UPDATE: A key Democratic group criticized Baucus's plan, saying it "absolutely fails to meet the most basic health care needs of working families and it fails to meet the expectations we have set for our nation."
"It fails to put pressure on private insurers to control health care costs. There is no history or logic behind the claim that health care co-ops would provide real competition for the giant private insurers that have a stranglehold on health coverage today," AFL-CIO president John Sweeney said in a statement.
"If you're an individual who does not purchase private health coverage, it sticks you with a hefty tax penalty even though it fails to provide sufficient subsidies to make plans affordable for low and moderate income families. But if you're an irresponsible employer who does not provide coverage, you get off scot free," he continued.
"Outrageously, the plan imposes a 35 percent tax on high-cost health care plans without prohibiting insurers from passing on the tax to consumers who happen to be in groups that are older or sicker than average or live in high cost areas.
"The Senate Finance proposal, sadly, is little more than a throwback to the failed policies of the last three decades that advantaged corporations over taxpayers and bestowed special breaks on the wealthy while ignoring the middle class. The proposal does include the important insurance reform and health care delivery system improvements adopted by earlier congressional committees, and it builds on these by reforming the way we pay for health services to focus on the quality of services instead of the quantity. But the proposal's strong points are nowhere near sufficient to outweigh its problems. However well intentioned the attempts at bipartisanship, the final product reflects the bankrupt policies of the past more than the forward-looking policies needed to drive meaningful health care reform.
"We are counting on finance committee Democrats to fix the bill and side with working families, not insurance companies."
Liberals not giving up on public option
The much fought-over public option -- a government-run plan along the lines of Medicare that would be widely available -- is looking less likely as part of a sweeping health care overhaul.
But a liberal group is not giving up.
Health Care for America Now launched a new ad airing on national cable today slamming insurers for getting rich by jacking up premiums and denying treatment and overpaying CEOS -- and urging supporters to tell Congress that a public plan is the only way to keep insurance companies in check.
"If the insurance companies win, you lose," the announcer says.
President Obama has been walking a thin line on the public option, trying to reassure his allies that it is his preference, but also bowing to political reality by suggesting it's not a deal-breaker. In a Washington Post/ABC News poll published Monday, support for a health care overhaul rose significantly if a public option was deleted.
A public option is not in the plan that Senate Finance chairman Max Baucus is putting together -- and that is likely to be the vehicle for Obama's plan in Congress.
Also today, a faith-based coalition that is helping Obama make the "moral" case for health reform -- he spoke to them in a webcast last month -- is urging its members to call their members of Congress today. And on Wednesday, clergy, advocates, and others will lobby lawmakers personally.
In recent weeks, the coalition said, "the faith community demonstrated widespread support for affordable quality health care for all — 300,000 people listened to the August 19th health care web-cast and call-in with faith leaders and President Obama, clergy in congregations across the country preached about health care reform and called for a civil and honest debate, and the faith community held large public events to build support for affordable health reform nationwide."
Public still divided on health care
A liberal-labor coalition is up with a new TV ad arguing that opposition President Obama's health care overhaul could cost members of Congress at the polls next November.
The spot from Americans United for Change shows a political consultant apologizing to a losing candidate at 11:03 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 2, 2010.
"Congressman as your political consultant," he says to the camera. "I’m sorry you lost. I was wrong. Turned out the voters hated the stranglehold the insurance companies have on health care, raising premiums, cutting off people with pre-existing conditions, making health care decisions instead of doctors. And they didn’t much like the millionaire insurance CEO’s you were hanging with either. Guess your vote against health insurance reform turned out to be bad politics.”
But a new poll shows why some lawmakers are so skittish about jumping aboard the Obama health care bandwagon.
The Washington Post-ABC News survey published today found that while opposition has eased somewhat since the August town halls, Obama still faces deep skepticism about key elements of the Democratic plan.
In the poll, 48 percent oppose the proposals, while 46 percent favor them, and 48 percent of respondents approve Obama's handling of the issue, while 48 percent disapprove.
The public is also evenly divided -- 51 percent in favor, 47 percent against -- on whether people should be required to have health insurance.
UPDATE: A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released this afternoon also showed the public still largely divided on Obama's health care plan: 51 percent said they favored it and 46 percent opposed it, a slight improvement for the president from 48 percent in favor and 51 percent against in late August.
The survey also showed an uptick in how Americans view Obama's handling of the issue to 51 percent approval and in his overall job performance to 58 percent approval.
The CNN survey, conducted Friday through Sunday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
President warns of more uninsured -- without health overhaul
President Obama points today to a new Treasury report to warn that many Americans could face the loss of health insurance -- a plight that could be prevented with his health care overhaul plan.
In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says he's continued to hear from worried Americans since his speech to Congress on Wednesday night -- and for good reason since during the last year of economic turmoil, "nearly six million more Americans lost their health coverage – that’s 17,000 men and women every single day.
"We’re not just talking about Americans in poverty, either – we’re talking about middle-class Americans. In other words, it can happen to anyone," says Obama. "And based on a brand-new report from the Treasury Department, we can expect that about half of all Americans under 65 will lose their health coverage at some point over the next ten years. If you’re under the age of 21 today, chances are more than half that you’ll find yourself uninsured at some point in that time. And more than one-third of Americans will go without coverage for longer than one year."
(Click here to read the report.)
"I refuse to allow that future to happen," declares the president, who holds a health care rally later today in Minneapolis. "In the United States of America, no one should have to worry that they’ll go without health insurance – not for one year, not for one month, not for one day. And once I sign my health reform plan into law – they won’t."
Obama then runs down his plan, and vows again to get a bill passed this year.
"Affordable, quality care within reach for the tens of millions of Americans who don’t have it today. Stability and security for the hundreds of millions who do. That’s the reform we seek," he says.
"We have had a long and important debate. But now is the time for action. Because every day we wait, more Americans will lose their health care, their businesses, and their homes – but also the dreams they’ve worked for and the peace of mind they deserve. They are why we have to succeed."
Click here to watch the address. The full remarks are below:
Obama takes health care pitch on road
Fresh off his health care speech to Congress that polls suggest reassured the public and that reenergized some fellow Democrats, President Obama takes his health care pitch on the road.
Saturday, he will hold a rally at the Target Center in Minneapolis. On Tuesday, he will speak in Pittsburgh to the convention of the AFL-CIO, one of his biggest backers on health care. And on Thursday, Obama will hold another health care rally in College Park, Md., the White House announced this evening.
When he arrives in Minneapolis, he will be greeted by a TV ad from the Minnesota GOP.
The spot shows Obama vowing to "change the world" at a campaign rally last year in the same arena -- before the announcer says he is proposing a "risky" health care plan, citing news reports to assert that Obama's plan would cut Medicare, ration care, raise taxes, and explode the federal deficit.
"Mr. President, let's slow down and do health care reform the right way," the announcer says.
The bipartisan "Gang of Six" -- three Democrats and three Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee -- are trying to reach a compromise by early next week.
The Senate Finance bill appears to be the most likely legislative vehicle for the blueprint Obama laid out to Congress on Wednesday night. Chairman Max Baucus's plan dovetails with Obama's on most major issues and has the same general cost of $900 billion over 10 years, while bills passed by House Democrats include measures the president has not embraced.
Steele questions Obama's use of Kennedy letter
Republican Party chief Michael Steele is raising eyebrows again -- this time for questioning President Obama's use in his health care speech of a letter the president received from the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
Making it public for the first time, Obama quoted from it near the end of his speech Wednesday night to urge lawmakers pass health care as a moral issue that showed the country's character.
But Steele called it a "political tool."
Questioned this afternoon on CNN about that characterization, Steele backtracked a little.
"I'm not slamming the president on this," he said. "I just thought something like that was so personal in many respects, and particularly so soon after the senator's death -- I just didn't think it was the right time to reveal that or have that conversation or to say it. That was all. It was just an opinion."
Acknowledging that Kennedy might have wanted the letter read publicly since he championed health care reform, Steele added, "Be that as it may, the reality of it is, that to me is more of a diversion and a distraction from the underlying speech itself. Which, in my view, the president, I think, missed an opportunity to clearly define in a common-sense, straightforward way, exactly how we should go about the business of reforming those aspects of our health care system that we have particular problems with."
Democratic Congressional Campaign Chairman Chris Van Hollen blasted Steele.
“Last night, President Obama called on us to replace acrimony with civility, yet Republican Chairman Steele’s outlandish comments only serve to increase the acrimony and deny the American people the substantive debate on health insurance reform that this critical challenge merits," Van Hollen said in a statement.
“The late Senator Kennedy devoted his life to reforming health care in America and he would have been proud of President Obama’s eloquent call for action last night. Michael Steele’s time would be better spent condemning Congressman Joe Wilson’s outrageous outburst, rather than further poisoning the political discourse by attacking the heartfelt intentions of a dedicated American who spent his life working on health care reform.”
David Axelrod, a senior adviser to Obama, told the Globe Wednesday night that Kennedy's widow had informed the White House of the letter that the senator wanted delivered after his death and that Obama was so moved by it that he wrote the closing part of the speech mentioning it himself.
Obama continues health care offensive
Following up his more assertive pitch Wednesday night for a sweeping health care bill, President Obama focused this morning on insurance fixes, saying Americans live "at the whims" of insurance companies.
"I will not allow reform to be imperiled or postponed," he told members of the American Nurses Association. "We've talked this issue to death."
Obama cited new Census figures out today that the number of uninsured Americans rose slightly to 46.3 million last year and said that surveys shows that 6 million have joined the ranks of the uninsured during the economic recession.
Then saying, "just in case people weren't tuned in last night," he did a quick rundown of the changes he wants to prevent insurers from denying coverage for preexisting conditions and other changes.
A nonpartisan Massachusetts research group noted this afternoon that the Census estimates showed that Massachusetts had the lowest percentage of uninsured, about 5.4 percent, compared to about 15 percent nationally.
MassBudget credited the state's landmark health care law, which mandated that indivdiduals get coverage and offered state help for those who couldn't afford it. It noted that when the health reform legislation took effect in April 2006, about 9.8 percent of the commonwealth's population did not have health insurance.
Many of the proposals that Obama supports are modeled, at least in part, on the Massachusetts law.
Obama also praised America's nurses for their compassion and skill, noting their care for his daughters Malia and Sasha and for his mother and grandmother in their final days. "I love nurses," he said. "You're the bedrock of our medical profession."
(His full remarks are below.)
He also plans a series of rallies across the country, starting Saturday in Minneapolis, to put more pressure on Congress.
Vice President Joe Biden, making the rounds of morning new shows, predicted that the bill will be done by Thanksgiving, thanks to an emerging bipartisan consensus and the impact of Obama's speech to Congress.
The president "re-centered" the debate and "also debunked a lot of the myths out there, the idea of death panels, that we were going to insure undocumented aliens," Biden said.
Republicans remain unimpressed and unmoved.
“We appreciated having the President here last night. Unfortunately, what the American people got wasn’t a new health care plan, it was just another lecture. He had a chance to really put the government-run plan to bed, but unfortunately he didn’t do it. … When it’s all said and done; when you listen to the President’s speech and thought about it, there was nothing new in the President’s speech last night,” said Representative John Boehner, the top House Republican.
At a Capitol Hill news conference this afternoon, Boehner disputed some of Obama's key assertions. He told reporters that the Democratic bill could force people to change their insurance plans, could offer access to illegal immigrants, and could slash Medicare benefits.
And, Boehner asserted, Americans are angry and worried about sweeping changes to their health care.
Congress, he said, can find "common ground on sensible changes" to the existing system.
UPDATE: Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele followed up this afternoon with an email to supporters urging them to send a "Declaration of Independence" electronic postcard to Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress.
"Once again, President Obama stepped in front of the prime time TV cameras to attempt to sell the Democrats' leftist health care scheme to legislators and anyone else who might still be paying attention," Steele wrote in the fund-raising solicitation. "The charm offensive isn't working. Americans no longer feel the need to give Barack Obama the benefit of the doubt.
"They have seen through the hype and media adoration to understand that the Obama Democrats are determined to push their far-left agenda on our country whether the American people like it or not," Steele added.
"You can feel the rising mood of freedom-loving Americans across this country. Not afraid, but incensed and determined, that their government not be a menace to our hard-earned liberty and prosperity. They are extremely concerned that the President and his congressional allies are launching an unprecedented assault against the principles upon which America was built."
Obama accepts Wilson apology
President Obama is willing to let bygones be bygones, and so is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
But at least one member of Congress wants Representative Joe Wilson censured for yelling at the president "You lie!" during his health care speech Wednesday night.
Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, quickly apologized for his outburst, which stunned colleagues, prompted boos from some Democrats, and caused Obama to respond by saying "It's not true."
"This evening I let my emotions get the best of me," he said in a statement. "While I disagree with the president's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility."
But Wilson stood by the subject for his shout, which he described today as "spontaneous" -- the assertion that illegal immigrants could benefit from the health care overhaul.
Even so, Obama told reporters today that he accepted Wilson's apology.
"Yes, I do," he said after a cabinet meeting. "I'm a big believer that we all make mistakes. He apologized quickly and without equivocation, and I'm appreciative of that.
"I do think that, as I said last night, we have to get to the point where we can have a conversation about big, important issues that matter to the American people without vitriol, without name-calling, without the assumption of the worst in other people's motives.
"We are all Americans; we all want to do best for our country," Obama added. We've got different ideas, but for the most part, we have the same aims, which is to make sure that people who work hard in this country and who act responsibly are able to get good jobs, good wages, raise their families, make sure those kids have a good education; that they are protected from misfortune or accident by having health care and retirement security in place....Our goals are generally the same, whether we're Democrats or Republicans, and in fact, most Americans don't even think about those labels all that much. They are turned off when they see people using wild accusations, false claims, name-calling, sharply ideological approaches to solve problems. They want pragmatism; they want people to stay focused on the job. And I hope that some of the fever breaks a little bit."
Pelosi also told reporters that she's not interested in sanctioning Wilson. "As far as I'm concerned, the episode was unfortunate. Mr. Wilson has apologized. It's time for us to talk about health care and not Mr. Wilson," she said today.
But according to the Washington Post, Senator Arlen Specter, the Republican-turned-Democrat from Pennsylvania, tweeted, "Rep. Wilson apologized immediately afterward but I don't think that's adequate. There ought to be a reprimand or censure of Rep. Joe Wilson to discourage that kind of conduct in the future."
Obama: 'Time for bickering is over'
President Obama tried tonight to thread the proverbial political needle on health care: keep enough liberals on board to pass a bill, reach out to moderates and even some Republicans -- and all the while convince an increasingly skeptical public that an overhaul would make their medical care better and less expensive, not worse and more costly.
Delivering a nationally televised, high-stakes speech on his top domestic priority to a joint session of Congress, Obama laid down his markers for what he wants in a bill and to say he will accept ideas from Republicans as well as Democrats -- as long as a bill gets done.
"I am not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last," he said, drawing a standing ovation from lawmakers.
"Our collective failure to meet this challenge – year after year, decade after decade – has led us to a breaking point," he added. "Everyone understands the extraordinary hardships that are placed on the uninsured, who live every day just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy. These are not primarily people on welfare. These are middle-class Americans. Some can’t get insurance on the job. Others are self-employed, and can’t afford it, since buying insurance on your own costs you three times as much as the coverage you get from your employer. Many other Americans who are willing and able to pay are still denied insurance due to previous illnesses or conditions that insurance companies decide are too risky or expensive to cover. We are the only democracy, the only advanced democracy on Earth -- the only wealthy nation -- that allows such hardships for millions of its people."
"The time for bickering is over," Obama declared. "The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action. Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care."
"The plan I’m announcing tonight would meet three basic goals: It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don’t. And it will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government. It’s a plan that asks everyone to take responsibility for meeting this challenge – not just government and insurance companies, but everybody, including employers and individuals. And it’s a plan that incorporates ideas from senators and congressmen; from Democrats and Republicans – and yes, from some of my opponents in both the primary and general election."
Obama repeated his proposals to ban insurers from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions, to limit out of pocket expenses, and to require insurance companies to cover routine checkups. He also calls for a new exchange where individuals and small businesses can buy affordable coverage.
Obama disputed "bogus claims" by those trying to kill reform that there would be "death panels" of bureaucrats who would decide end-of-life care, that illegal immigrants would receive benefits, and there would be a government takeover of health care.
On one of the most controversial issues -- the so-called public option, a government-run plan along the lines of Medicare, Obama said it was only one part of his plan and "only a means" to the end of creating needed competition to private insurers to hold down costs and improve policies -- "and we should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal."
"Let me be clear – it would only be an option for those who don’t have insurance. No one would be forced to choose it; it would not impact those of you who already have insurance," he said.
Trying to appeal to Republicans, he said while he does not believe that medical malpractice reform is "a silver bullet," "I have talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs" and he's willing to "move forward on a range of ideas about how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine."
While he said he'll work toward a bipartisan deal, Obama also warned that his patience has a limit.
"I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it’s better politics to kill this plan than improve it," he said. "I won't stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. If you misrepresent what's in this plan, we will call you out. And I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now.
"Everyone in this room knows what will happen if we do nothing. Our deficit will grow. More families will go bankrupt. More businesses will close. More Americans will lose their coverage when they are sick and need it most. And more will die as a result. We know these things to be true. That is why we cannot fail. Because there are too many Americans counting on us to succeed – the ones who suffer silently, and the ones who shared their stories with us at town halls, in emails, and in letters."
Obama called on Edward M. Kennedy's legacy and memory as part of his call to action on health care, especially for bipartisan cooperation for the greater American good.
He said one of the letters he had received recently was from Kennedy, in which the late senator "expressed confidence that this would be the year that health care reform – 'that great unfinished business of our society,' would finally pass. He repeated the truth that health care is decisive for our future prosperity, but he also reminded me that 'it concerns more than material things.' 'What we face,' he wrote, 'is above all a moral issue; at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.' ”
"I’ve thought about that phrase quite a bit in recent days – the character of our country," Obama said.
"On issues like these, Ted Kennedy’s passion was born not of some rigid ideology, but of his own experience. It was the experience of having two children stricken with cancer. He never forgot the sheer terror and helplessness that any parent feels when a child is badly sick; and he was able to imagine what it must be like for those without insurance; what it would be like to have to say to a wife or a child or an aging parent – there is something that could make you better, but I just can’t afford it.
"That large-heartedness -- that concern and regard for the plight of others -- is not a partisan feeling. It is not a Republican or a Democratic feeling. It, too, is part of the American character. Our ability to stand in other people’s shoes. A recognition that we are all in this together; that when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a helping hand. A belief that in this country, hard work and responsibility should be rewarded by some measure of security and fair play; and an acknowledgement that sometimes government has to step in to help deliver on that promise."
(His full remarks are below.)
The official Republican response came from Representative Charles Boustany Jr. of Louisiana, a former heart surgeon.
In excerpts released in advance by House Republicans, Boustany said that "Republicans are pleased that President Obama came to the Capitol tonight. We agree much needs to be done to lower the cost of health care for all Americans. On that goal, Republicans are ready -- and we’ve been ready -– to work with the President for common-sense reforms that our nation can afford.”
But Boustany also said it's time to start over, not cobble together the bills already passed by Democratic-controlled committees in the House and Senate.
“It’s clear the American people want health care reform, but they want their elected leaders to get it right," he plans to say. "Most Americans wanted to hear the President tell Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid and the rest of Congress that it’s time to start over on a common-sense, bipartisan plan focused on lowering the cost of health care while improving quality. That’s what I heard over the past several months in talking to thousands of my constituents. Replacing your family’s current health care with government-run health care is not the answer. In fact, it’ll make health care much more expensive.”
Boustany repeated the Republican assertion that the Democratic bill would mean bigger government and higher taxes, saying that it " creates 53 new government bureaucracies, adds hundreds of billions to our national debt, and raises taxes on job-creators by $600 billion. And, it cuts Medicare by 500 billion dollars, while doing virtually nothing to make the program better for our seniors.”
(His full prepared remarks are below.)
Democrats spent much of today trying to trash Boustany, pointing out that at one point he seemed to support the "birther" movement that questioned whether Obama was born in Hawaii (despite a verified birth certificate) and thus ineligible to be president, that he supported end-of-life counseling (that have been mischaracterized as "death panels') and that he had been sued for malpractice (though not an unusually high number of times).
Senator Kennedy's legacy invoked, his children, widow watch Obama
Senator Edward M. Kennedy didn't live to see an universal health care bill pass in Washington.
But when President Obama spoke tonight to Congress to plead with them to pass a bill, he was there in spirit.
President Obama called on Kennedy's legacy and memory as part of his call to action on health care, especially for bipartisan cooperation for the greater American good.
He said he had received a letter recently from Kennedy. "He had written it back in May, shortly after he was told that his illness was terminal. He asked that it be delivered upon his death.
"In it, he spoke about what a happy time his last months were, thanks to the love and support of family and friends, his wife, Vicki, and his amazing children who are all here tonight," Obama continued. "And he expressed confidence that this would be the year that health care reform – 'that great unfinished business of our society,' would finally pass. He repeated the truth that health care is decisive for our future prosperity, but he also reminded me that 'it concerns more than material things.' 'What we face,' he wrote, 'is above all a moral issue; at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.' ”
"I’ve thought about that phrase quite a bit in recent days – the character of our country. One of the unique and wonderful things about America has always been our self-reliance, our rugged individualism, our fierce defense of freedom and our healthy skepticism of government. And figuring out the appropriate size and role of government has always been a source of rigorous and sometimes angry debate," the president said.
"For some of Ted Kennedy’s critics, his brand of liberalism represented an affront to American liberty. In their mind, his passion for universal health care was nothing more than a passion for big government. But those of us who knew Teddy and worked with him here -- people of both parties -- know that what drove him was something more. His friend, Orrin Hatch, knows that. They worked together to provide children with health insurance. His friend John McCain knows that. They worked together on a Patient’s Bill of Rights. His friend Chuck Grassley knows that. They worked together to provide health care to children with disabilities.
"On issues like these, Ted Kennedy’s passion was born not of some rigid ideology, but of his own experience. It was the experience of having two children stricken with cancer. He never forgot the sheer terror and helplessness that any parent feels when a child is badly sick; and he was able to imagine what it must be like for those without insurance; what it would be like to have to say to a wife or a child or an aging parent – there is something that could make you better, but I just can’t afford it.
"That large-heartedness -- that concern and regard for the plight of others -- is not a partisan feeling. It is not a Republican or a Democratic feeling. It, too, is part of the American character. Our ability to stand in other people’s shoes. A recognition that we are all in this together; that when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a helping hand. A belief that in this country, hard work and responsibility should be rewarded by some measure of security and fair play; and an acknowledgement that sometimes government has to step in to help deliver on that promise."
UPDATE: Obama's senior adviser David Axelrod told the Globe that Victoria Reggie Kennedy called to say the senator had written the letter in May he wanted delivered to Obama after his death.
"The president read it and it became the basis of the closing" section of the speech that Obama wrote himself in longhand, Axelrod said in a brief interview. "It was something that moved him a lot."
The full letter is below.
Several of Kennedy's children and his widow were in places of honor in the House chamber.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced this afternoon that Congressman Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island would escort Obama to the well, then watch from the gallery.
Ted Kennedy, Jr., and Kara Kennedy and her two children, Grace and Max, will watch from the front row of the speaker's box.
Kennedy's widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, sat with First Lady Michelle Obama in her box.
Others invited for those primo seats are patients who illustrate the problems of health care and the benefits of an overhaul, along with doctors and other health professionals. Among the latter category is Dr. Wayne Myers, an organic farmer and pediatrician from Waldoboro, Maine, who the White House said "has been active in rural health care for many years" and "understands the health care challenges present in accessing care and affordable insurance in rural areas."
The full guest list is below:
FULL ENTRYObama appeals to grassroots group
President Obama reacted to his own speech by sending out an appeal tonight to the 13-million-strong email list of his grassroots group, Organizing for America.
"I just finished laying out my plan for health reform at a joint session of Congress. Now, I'm writing directly to you because what happens next is critical -- and I need your help," Obama wrote in the email. "Change this big will not happen because I ask for it. It can only come when the nation demands it. Congress knows where I stand. Now they need to hear from you."
"We've come closer to real health reform in the last few months than we have in the last 60 years. But those who profit from the status quo -- and those who put partisan advantage above all else -- will fight us every inch of the way," he added.
"We do not seek that fight, but we will not shrink from it. The stakes are too high to let scare tactics cloud the debate, or to allow partisan bickering to block the path. Your voice, right now, is essential."
UPDATE: In an instant CNN/Opinion Research poll, 56 percent of respondents said they had a "very positive" overall reaction to Obama's speech, and another 21 percent "somewhat positive," while 12 percent said "somewhat negative" and 9 percent "very negative."
Also, 70 percent said Obama's proposals would move the country in the right direction, up from 60 percent in a similar poll conducted Saturday through Tuesday, and 67 percent said they favored Obama's plan to reform health care, up from 53 percent before the speech.
The new poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points, and 18 percent of the respondents identified themselves as Republicans, 45 percent as Democrats, and 37 percent as independents.
Other reaction to his address to Congress divides, not suprisingly, along party lines.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele: “The president has proven his ability again to speak very well and say very little. He continued to try and sell his government-run health care experiment even though it will increase costs, increase taxes and increase the deficit. He said he wants to work with Republicans, but Nancy Pelosi and liberals in the House have opposed Republicans every step of the way. If the Democrats are serious about passing health care reform this year, they should stop pointing fingers and truly start working with Republicans to pass common-sense bipartisan health care reform that Americans want and deserve.”
Brad Dayspring, spokesman for Representative Eric Cantor, the second-ranking House Republican: “Tonight the President failed to say anything different or offer clear specifics, and with that in mind the reason for this overhyped speech is strangely unclear. The President has now delivered over 100 speeches where he’s discussed health care and said the same thing. He's held prime time press conferences, hosted television specials from the White House, and addressed a joint-session of Congress and only thing he’s made explicitly clear is that the status quo is unacceptable, a fact that we all agree on. While the President continues to blame unnamed special interests and Republicans, the fact is that the Democrats overwhelmingly control both the House and the Senate. The President and his party have failed to lead by offering reform that Americans are comfortable with. Families understand that a costly government-run plan will force them to pay more and get less.”
Senator John F. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat: “Tonight President Obama regained the initiative in a debate that must be won this year - not for a party, but for people who desperately need relief. This was a presidential moment and real presidential leadership. Americans need a real debate -- no more distortions, no more political games, no more scare tactics, it’s time for leaders everywhere to find the common ground to do what’s right for our country.
It won’t be easy, it will require tough decisions and hard-fought compromise, but letting another year go by without reforming health care is not an option. Now is the moment to achieve affordable insurance for those who don’t have it, stability for those who do, and cost controls for the businesses struggling to provide it to their workers.
"I was pleased to see the President made a compelling case for one of the ideas I’ve advanced on the Finance Committee – a meeting in the middle to control costs by placing an excise tax on insurers who offer high cost plans – a proposal that should be targeted to protect hard working Americans. Now we need to find Republicans willing to find those kinds of compromises for the greater good. That’s what our friend Ted Kennedy did at times like these, and there’s no greater action we can take now to honor his legacy than to deliver on the cause of his life.”
Representative Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat: “Tonight the President offered a strong case for comprehensive health care reform, and I commend him on an excellent speech,” said Markey. “President Obama’s plan will offer stability and security for those with health insurance. No one should have to fight off a deadly disease while also fighting with their insurance company. The President’s plan puts a stop to denial of coverage based on a pre-existing condition and contains other vital reforms to protect Americans who already have coverage. President Obama’s plan also will finally enable the more than 45 million Americans without health insurance to get quality, affordable health coverage by creating a new insurance exchange where individuals and small businesses can shop for health insurance at competitive prices.
“We are now entering a new phase in the debate. Our current system is broken and in urgent need of an overhaul. Now is the time to heed the President’s call and pass comprehensive health care reform. The stakes are too high and the costs of inaction are too great to delay any longer.”
Expectations high, pressure intense for Obama speech
All sides are furiously trying to set expectations in advance of President Obama's big health care speech tonight to a joint session of Congress.
It's not clear how much the address, scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT, will be highlighted by new specifics -- or will be a more coherent restating of what the president wants in a health care overhaul.
Obama will "speak clearly to the American people about what's in health care reform; for those that are fortunate to have insurance, to demonstrate for them that his plan will bring them security and stability; and for those that don't have health insurance, that we'll provide an affordable way for them to get accessible insurance," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters on Air Force One as Obama headed to New York to speak at a memorial service for revered newsman Walter Cronkite.
On one of the most contentious issues, Obama will make his case for why he believes a government-run option is the best way to create more competition to private insurers, but he isn't expected to say he would veto a bill without it, a senior administration official told the Associated Press.
Obama, himself, in an interview aired today on ABC's "Good Morning America," offered few specifics, but did outline this preview of his address: "So, the intent of the speech on is to, A, make sure that the American people are clear exactly what it is that we are proposing. B, to make sure that Democrats and Republicans understand that I’m open to new ideas, that we’re not being rigid and ideological about this thing, but we do intend to get something done this year.”
The challenge facing Obama tonight -- as he tries to mollify liberals and not give up on a bipartisan deal -- was put in starker relief by a new poll out today.
The Associated Press-GfK survey says that 52 percent of Americans disapprove of Obama's handling of health care, up from 43 percent in July. The poll also shows that 49 percent disapprove of his overall job performance, an increase from 42 percent in July.
Also in the poll, 49 percent said they oppose the bills under consideration in Congress, while only 34 percent favor them, and respondents were evenly split over whether lawmakers should keep trying to pass a bill this year or start over again.
The survey, conducted Thursday through Tuesday, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
UPDATE: Even before his speech, the White House announced this afternoon that Obama will take his health care pitch on the hustings.
He plans a "rally" -- not the town hall format he has been holding -- on Saturday in Minneapolis where he "will discuss what’s at stake for the American people in this debate – why we need health insurance reform and why we need to act now."
Republicans expect the president not to stake out much new ground tonight.
Representative John Boehner, the House GOP leader, said today the real question is whether Obama has been listening to the American public.
“I think the American people have made it pretty clear that they don’t really want another lecture, they want a new plan. They understand that we have a good system that works well for many people. Everybody understands that we’ve got problems in the current system that can be addressed. But to replace the entire current system with a big government-run plan is not what the American people want and certainly isn’t what I want.”
And the government-run public option isn't the only problem with the Democratic bills, Boehner said.
"It’s not the only bitter pill in their plan," he said. "They have a mandate on every employer to offer insurance and if they don’t there is a big tax. At a time when we are trying to create jobs this will make it more difficult to create jobs, and, as a matter of fact, probably cost our economy jobs. This $3,800 tax that has been proposed in one of the Democrat plans on individuals if you don’t buy health insurance is another non-starter. And so it really is time to stop, hit the reset button, and sit down in a bipartisan way and begin to deal with what we can deal with to help make our current health care system work better.”
Meanwhile, the American Medical Association issued an open letter to Obama and Congress urging them to reach a health care deal. "As our nation's elected leaders, you have an historic opportunity to improve the health and well-being of the American public," wrote J. James Rohack, the AMA's president. (Click here to read the letter.)
But it does not appear that the best hope for a bipartisan compromise will be in place before Obama speaks.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus had set a deadline of sorts of this morning for the "Gang of Six" to weigh in on his proposal, which would cost about $900 billion over 10 years, financed in part by new fees on insurers, drug companies and others in the industry, and does not include the public option.
But the key Republican in the negotiating group -- Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine -- is in no hurry to sign on to the Baucus plan before hearing from the president. "That's the cart before the horse, as they say in Maine," she said, according to the AP.
After Baucus met privately with Democrats on the committee, the chairman told reporters this afternoon that while he still hopes for a bipartisan deal, he will formally introduce his bill next week -- with or without Republican assent -- and have his panel debate it the week after that.
"I very much hope and do expect Republicans will be on board," he told reporters. "I don't know how many, but if there are not any, I will move forward anyway."
Dodd stays at Banking, Harkin takes health helm
In the game of musical chairs occasioned by the death of Edward M. Kennedy, Senator Christopher Dodd announced this afternoon that he will stay as chairman of the Banking Committee and not take over the health panel, where he had filled in for Kennedy during his illness.
Instead, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa will move from Agriculture to the health committee. Harkin, as was Kennedy, is firmly in the liberal wing of the Democratic party.
Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas will rise to the chairmanship of Agriculture.
"We all had hoped that Teddy would be able to come back to see this through," Dodd said in a statement. "Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. But I intend to keep the promise I made. And so, I am pleased that I will able to continue the role he asked me to take on as the HELP Committee’s leader on health care reform."
"But we have important work to do on the Banking Committee, and I intend to see it through as chairman. The Banking Committee is of vital importance to Connecticut, responsible for issues central to the economic security and prosperity of the people of my state."
Dodd's perch on Banking, where he will work on financial regulation overhaul with House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank of Massachusetts, will give him continued access to campaign cash in his tough reelection fight next year.
But it also got him in political hot water when critics accused him of getting too cozy to Wall Street during the meltdown.
Meanwhile, Service Employees International Union quickly applauded Harkin's move, saying that it is counting on his help to pass a health care bill, as well as a bill to make it easier for unions to organize, and an immigration overhaul.
"America’s working families have learned to count on Senator Harkin to stand up and fight for the issues that will help to ensure the American Dream is alive and well for their children and grandchildren. As the son of a coal miner, Senator Harkin understands how Congress and organized labor can work together to pass legislation that ensures quality and affordable healthcare, a fair economy, a safe workplace and a secure retirement," SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger said in a statement.
John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor federation, also praised the leadership changes.
"It is great news for America's workers that a longtime friend of working families is taking the helm at the Senate Labor Committee. Although no one can replace Senator Kennedy, Tom Harkin brings just the right balance of passion and skill to the job of protecting working men and women, educating our children and looking out for our health," Sweeney said in a statement.
"We are also pleased that Senator Dodd will stay on as Chair of the Banking Committee to continue the important work of cleaning up Wall Street and putting in place sensible regulations to make sure we do not have a repeat of the recent financial meltdown. Both Senators Harkin and Dodd face great challenges as they work to make meaningful progress on the issues that affect the lives of working people, and we look forward to working closely with both of them in the months and years ahead."
Palin warns of 'death panels' again
The idea of "death panels" -- hardhearted government bureaucrats who would decide when to pull the plug on terminally ill patients -- has been rather thoroughly debunked.
But former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin raises their specter again in an op-ed piece published in the Wall Street Journal today, on the eve of President Obama's much-anticipated health care speech.
"In an interview with the New York Times in April, the president suggested that such a group, working outside of 'normal political channels,' should guide decisions regarding that 'huge driver of cost . . . the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives . . . .' Palin writes.
"Given such statements, is it any wonder that many of the sick and elderly are concerned that the Democrats' proposals will ultimately lead to rationing of their health care by—dare I say it—death panels? Establishment voices dismissed that phrase, but it rang true for many Americans. Working through 'normal political channels,' they made themselves heard, and as a result Congress will likely reject a wrong-headed proposal to authorize end-of-life counseling in this cost-cutting context. But the fact remains that the Democrats' proposals would still empower unelected bureaucrats to make decisions affecting life or death health-care matters."
After the firestorm of controversy over the "death panels" in Democratic bills, bipartisan negotiators on the Senate Finance Committee agreed to drop the end-of-life provision.
But the Democratic National Committee hit back this morning at Palin, last year's Republican vice presidential nominee.
“The way Sarah Palin is trying to scare Americans you'd think it's Halloween already," DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a statement. "But, by continuing to peddle what Pulitzer Prize winning independent fact checkers have found to be ‘pants on fire’ lies and doubling down on the GOP recommendation to end Medicare for future generations, the only thing that's in costume here is Sarah Palin's supposed concern for the health care of Americans. What the American people find truly scary is that insurance rates have doubled this decade and continue to rise at a rate three times faster than their wages, and that rather than take on the insurance industry Republicans have become their biggest defenders. And what Sarah Palin should find truly scary is that her reputation as a serious leader can in fact sink even lower than it already has when she continues to stand by such outlandish claims.”
The rest of Palin's piece is far less controversial -- more of the Republican mantra that too much government would make health care worse, not better.
"Common sense tells us that the government's attempts to solve large problems more often create new ones. Common sense also tells us that a top-down, one-size-fits-all plan will not improve the workings of a nationwide health-care system that accounts for one-sixth of our economy. And common sense tells us to be skeptical when President Obama promises that the Democrats' proposals "will provide more stability and security to every American," Palin writes.
"With all due respect, Americans are used to this kind of sweeping promise from Washington. And we know from long experience that it's a promise Washington can't keep.
Louisiana doctor to deliver GOP prescription
President Obama's health care speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night has many of the trappings of a "State of Union" address, and perhaps more at stake with his top domestic priority in the lurch.
So the opposition party is treating it as such, announcing today that a doctor who is also a congressman will deliver the Republican response immediately afterwards.
Representative Charles Boustany of Louisiana has been tapped to make the speech. The GOP says that he has more than 20 years of medical experience and has long advocated for changes that lower health care costs and maintains the doctor-patient relationship.
“As a doctor, I know we must lower costs and improve care, which we can accomplish by focusing on strengthening the doctor-patient relationship and working in a bipartisan way,” he said in a statement. “Health care is a kitchen table issue that affects all Americans, and I believe we need an honest discussion about how we come together to fix what’s broken, while building on what works. That’s why I’m pleased the President will speak to Congress tomorrow night, and I look forward to presenting commonsense reforms that Republicans and all Americans can stand behind.”
“Dr. Boustany has been a tireless advocate for reform that lowers health care costs and expands access for the American people at a price our nation can afford,” Representative John Boehner, the top House Republican, said in a statement. “He understands why a Washington bureaucrat – as Democrats have proposed – should never get between a doctor and his patient. I’m pleased Charles has agreed to speak to the American people about a Republican vision for reform and the need for both parties to come together to craft a responsible proposal at a time when people across the country are focused on jobs.”
UPDATE: Health professionals, as a group, are the most generous donors to Boustany's campaigns. They gave him $240,250 for the 2008 election and $48,300 so far for the 2010 election, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Boustany was a "fitting choice" for Republicans opposed to a health care overhaul, noting his votes against expanding the children's health insurance program and funding community health centers.
Boustany is a "credible voice for special interests, but not for hardworking Louisianians who struggle with health insurance companies,” Jessica Santillo, the southern regional spokeswoman for the DCCC, said in a statement. “Louisianians deserve an honest debate on how to rein in health cares costs, improve care, and increase access, not more of Congressman Boustany’s attempts to block solutions and protect the status quo.”
Also, the Republican National Committee plans to respond minute by minute to Obama's speech, announcing this afternoon a "live blog will offer 'real-time' fact-checking during President Obama's address concerning his proposed government-run health care experiment and how it will impact all generations of Americans."
GOP: Start over on health care
Republicans use their Labor Day weekend radio-Internet address to try to pound it into Americans' heads that President Obama's health care plan would be a job killer that would balloon the federal deficit.
Obama, who plans to make his case before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, is being buffeted by liberals in his own party as well as Republican opponents on what he should insist be in a health care bill.
Representative John Kline of Minnesota talks about what he heard from constituents in the town halls he hosted during the August congressional recess.
"What I hear from them is what my colleagues are hearing from Americans all across this great nation -- a sense of uncertainty about the health care legislation moving through Congress like a runaway freight train. They ask: 'What will happen to my coverage, and my choice of doctors? Will I have to stand in line to receive treatment? Or get approval from someone in Washington before getting a knee replacement or filling a prescription for the latest diabetes medication?' " Kline says.
"Access to quality care and the comfort of a familiar physician isn’t the only thing on my constituents’ minds. With trillion dollar price tags becoming almost commonplace in Democrat-controlled Washington, American families are worried about what all this spending means for their jobs -- and their children -- and their children’s children.
With so many worries, Kline says it's time to start over -- and to try to draft a truly bipartisan bill.
"Democrats have crafted this legislation behind closed doors, creating a partisan blueprint that – at last count – clocked in at more than 1,000 pages. It’s complicated, it’s convoluted, and it’s quite simply not going to work.
"It’s time to press the ‘reset’ button," Kline says. "Health care reform doesn’t have to be a partisan battle. It doesn’t have to take away coverage from Americans who like what they have. It doesn't have to put federal bureaucrats in charge of what procedure is covered and what medication is not.
"Our goal must be to fix what’s broken in our health care system while preserving those features that work well. We can drive down costs without sacrificing quality. We can expand coverage without orchestrating a government takeover. And we can do all of these things without squeezing small businesses and destroying more jobs at a time when our economy needs them most."
His full address is below and can be viewed here.
Democrats say GOP wants to kill Medicare
Republicans have their senior's bill of rights, trying to win the elderly to their side in the health care debate.
Democrats retaliated this evening with a new TV ad that accuses the GOP of wanting to kill Medicare, the main government health program for seniors.
The Democratic National Committee cited a vote earlier this year in the House in which 137 Republicans voted for a budget proposal offered by the Republican leadership that the DNC says would have ended Medicare for Americans under age 55. Instead, the proposal called for younger workers to enroll in private plans and receive subsidies equal to the average Medicare benefit.
"Republicans want to end Medicare," the announcer says in the spot. "You heard right, Republicans actually voted to abolish Medicare for future generations -- one of the most important programs for seniors.
"America's seniors have relied on Medicare for over 40 years -- and Democrats are working to strengthen Medicare," the narrator continues, over images of smiling seniors. "But the plain truth is, Republicans have opposed Medicare from the start.
"Their leaders have called for cutting Medicare -- and now for killing it. The Republican Party -- no friend of seniors," the announcer concludes over photos of House Republican leader John Boehner and Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele.
The DNC says the ad will air on national cable in and in 10 the districts of 10 Republican members of Congress, including Boehner, his No. 2 Eric Cantor, and favorite liberal target Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.
In unveiling the seniors' bill of rights earlier this week, the RNC vowed to protect Medicare, which it asserted was in jeopardy under the proposals of President Obama and Democrats to find savings and efficiencies.
“Let’s agree in both parties that Congress should only consider health reform proposals that protect senior citizens,” Steele says in his ad. "For starters, no cuts to Medicare to pay for another program. Zero."
Obama grassroots tour hits Boston
President Obama's grassroots group is bringing its health care overhaul push to Boston on Labor Day, with newly minted US Senate candidate Martha Coakley and a possible competitor, Representative Michael Capuano, featured at the rally.
Organizing for America announced this afternoon that the rally will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common. It plans to present 30,000 declarations of support for Obama's proposals from Massachusetts residents to the Bay State congressional delegation.
"The rally will be an opportunity for supporters of reform to show their backing for President Obama’s principles for health insurance reform which have been simple and consistent -- reform will lower costs, protect choice and ensure all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care," the announcement said.
Besides Coakley, now Massachusetts attorney general, and Capuano, Representative John Tierney and leaders of the Service Employees International Union and Health Care for America Now! will attend.
Organizers said there will be a moment of silence for the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Coakley announced Thursday she is seeking the seat, and Capuano is also considering a run.
Organizing for America says it held more than 2,000 health care events during August, culminating in a two-week bus tour that ended Thursday and stopped in Phoenix, Albuquerque, Denver, Des Moines, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Charlotte.
Democrats hit back on health care
Democrats, ramping up their rebuttal to GOP attacks on health care, unveiled a web video today going after Representatives John Boehner and Michele Bachmann and commentators Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.
The video shows the critics repeating debunked claims, including that the health care bill would create death panels of bureaucrats who would decide who lives and dies, and using terms such as "communist" to describe the plan.
“Since Congressional Republicans and their right wing allies can’t win with the facts on health care, they’ve resorted to using fear, fiction, and scare tactics of the worst kind to shamelessly try and ‘kill’ health insurance reform,” Ryan Rudominer, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement. “This new web video is just another way that we are exposing their lies and over-the-top rhetoric while empowering our grassroots supporters to hold them accountable for trying to deny families quality, affordable health care.”
The video is part of Democrats' strategy of advertising, phone calls, letters to the editor, fact checks, and telephone town halls in targeted Republican districts to try to regain momentum.
Republicans and other critics have taken the upper hand during the August congressional recess, one reason why President Obama plans to give an unusual "State of the Union"-like speech to a joint session of Congress next Wednesday to make his case for a health care overhaul.
Obama plans to address Congress on health care
President Obama will address a joint session of Congress next Wednesday as he tries to regain momentum on the health care debate.
With a bipartisan deal looking less likely and many Americans confused by the debate, the White House has been signaling that Obama will try to sharpen his message on what exactly he wants Congress to put in a health overhaul.
Obama has held a series of town halls, and a prime time news conference, but senior adviser David Axelrod said in a series of interviews late Tuesday and early today that the president was considering giving a major health care speech soon after he returns from his Camp David vacation and Congress reconvenes next week.
"We're entering a new season," Axelrod told CNN today. "It's time to synthesize and harmonize these strands and get this done."
So far, Obama has left the details of bill drafting to Democrats in Congress. But as the Globe reported today, Democrats are increasingly dismayed by Republican recalcitrance and are considering using the "nuclear option" of a parliamentary maneuver to ram through a health care bill with a simple majority in the Senate. And as the Globe reported last week, Obama has stepped on his own message at times.
A CBS News survey released Tuesday said that two in three respondents said they were confused by the proposals before Congress, and 60 percent said that Obama has not clearly explained his health proposals.
The address, scheduled for prime time Wednesday night, will be only Obama's second as president to a joint session of Congress. His first, in late February, amounted to his "State of the Union" address and focused on the financial crisis and deepening recession.
"The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this nation," Obama said then. "Those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more."
Most Americans confused by health plans
The war of words and ads over health care has left most Americans confused, according to a new poll released today.
The CBS News survey found that two in three respondents -- including 69 percent of Republicans and 58 percent of Democrats -- call the proposals before Congress confusing, while only 31 percent said they have a clear understanding of the proposed changes.
Moreover, 60 percent of Americans say that President Obama has not clearly explained his health proposals, though he has held a series of town halls and other events. (Click here to see the entire poll.)
The at-times heated town hall meetings during the August congressional recess didn't help matters, and 49 percent of those who said they heard of the sessions said angry protestors featured on cable TV did not reflect the views of most Americans.
Not surprisingly, there was a partisan division, with 66 percent of Republicans saying the protestors did speak for most of the public, but 73 percent of Democratic respondents said they did not.
The poll, conducted Thursday through Monday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Republicans immediately jumped on the poll findings. "Over a month ago, President Obama changed his message from 'health care reform' to 'health insurance reform.' Though the message changed, the underlying product didn’t," Brad Dayspring, a spokesman for Representative Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House, said in a statement. "New polling from CBS shows that the American people weren’t fooled."
Girding for war on health care
The truce during the mourning for Senator Edward M. Kennedy is a memory, Congress returns to work in a week, and the calendar has turned to September.
So it's time to rejoin the battle over the health care overhaul.
Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, the top Republican on the Budget Committee, is warning that he has lots of objections ready if Democrats try to push a health care bill through the Senate with a simple majority.
Democrats might need to resort to the procedural maneuver, known as reconciliation, because with Kennedy's seat vacant, they control 59 votes -- one shy of what is needed to overcome potential filibusters.
Gregg told The Hill newspaper in an article published online today that Republicans could file "hundreds" of points of order objections, each one requiring 60 votes to overcome.
"We are very much engaged in taking a hard look at our rights under reconciliation," Gregg told The HiIl. "It would be very contentious."
The Republican National Committee this morning unveiled a new TV ad that promotes its "seniors' bill of rights" for any health care changes -- aiming squarely at a constituency worried what reform would bring and at a voting bloc least supportive of President Obama.
“Let’s agree in both parties that Congress should only consider health reform proposals that protect senior citizens,” RNC Chairman Michael Steele says in the ad. "For starters, no cuts to Medicare to pay for another program. Zero.
"Make it illegal to ration health care based on age,” he continues. "Prevent any government role in end-of-life care. And stop bureaucrats from getting between seniors and their doctors. A few things we should all agree on. The Seniors’ Bill of Rights. Stand with us and stand with senior citizens. After all, they’ve earned it.”
Democrats, however, point out that Steele has seemingly contradicted himself in recent days over whether he supports savings (or cuts, according to critics) in Medicare -- the government health program for seniors -- to help bring health spending under control.
Democrats also note that the AARP declared that “nothing in the bills that have been proposed would bring about the scenarios the RNC is concerned about.”
"Michael Steele and the Republicans are unbelievable," Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse said in a statement today responding to the RNC ad. "After failing to stop the President on the Recovery Act, the budget, equal pay for women and children's health care, Republicans have decided that they have no other choice when it comes to blocking health insurance reform than to lie to the American people and try to scare seniors - all in their admitted effort to 'break' the President on this issue and 'kill' reform for political gain.
"The RNC's 'Senior's Bill Of Rights' is nothing more than a scare tactic built on a foundation of lies about the effort to reform health insurance. Which begs the question, why can't Republicans debate health insurance reform on the merits instead of making stuff up out of whole cloth? Because they know the crux of what President Obama has proposed -- lowering costs, preserving choice, expanding access and reversing decades of unfair insurance industry practices -- is popular with the American people and they don't stand a chance of blocking reform if they deal with the issue honestly."
Democrats -- in the form of President Obama's grassroots group Organizing for America -- are continuing their "Health Insurance Reform Now: Let’s Get it Done!" bus tour today in Columbus, Ohio, and Wednesday in Pittsburgh. The events, in part, are designed to hammer home the message of Obama's eight health "guarantees" for Americans who already have health insurance: "1) no discrimination for pre-existing conditions, 2) no exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles, or co-pays, 3) no cost-sharing for preventive care, 4) no dropping of coverage for the seriously ill, 5) no gender discrimination, 6) no annual or lifetime caps on coverage, 7) extended coverage for young adults, and 8) guaranteed insurance renewal."
Will Kennedy's death be catalyst on health care?
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President Obama, in a message overnight to his 13 million-strong grassroots group, said that Senator Edward M. Kennedy "a true leader who challenged us all to live out our noblest values."
"I personally valued his wise counsel in the Senate, where, regardless of the swirl of events, he always had time for a new colleague. I cherished his confidence and momentous support in my race for the Presidency. And even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness, I've benefited as President from his encouragement and wisdom," Obama added in his message to members of Organizing for America. (His full message is below.)
Obama did not mention the issue that he and Kennedy were most closely working on in the months before his death and that his grassroots group is now crusading on -- a health care overhaul.
But Vice President Joe Biden says that Kennedy's death -- and the outpouring of tributes -- could break the partisan gridlock on Capitol Hill.
"God willing maybe his loss and all about him will be the catalyst to make people come around and, you know, begin to compromise to get something done," Biden said in an interview aired this morning on NBC's "Today" show.
The vice president, however, also acknowledged that the impact could go the other way -- that Kennedy's absence will make a bipartisan deal even more difficult. Several key Republicans, including last year's presidential nominee, Senator John McCain, have argued in recent days that a health care deal would be closer if Kennedy had been in the Senate the last few months.
Biden said that Kennedy's attitude and persistence should be an example.
"Everything was about possibilities. I never, ever, ever in 36 years of being with him ever saw him down in terms of, 'We can't get this done,' 'things aren't going to get any better,' 'the deficit's too big,' 'we can't get this passed' -- never, never, never," Biden said.
"I watched him on the renewal of the civil rights legislation. I watched him on hate crimes legislation. I watched him go back at it and go back at it, and I watched him change people's minds."
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said today that Kennedy's death would "make things more difficult" on health care legislation, MSNBC reports.
Asked about the possibility of naming the bill in Kennedy's honor, she said that would be an appropriate tribute, but said "it would be best to pass health care."
But conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh took a decidedly different stance.
"Placing [Kennedy’s] name on a health-care bill, in memoriam, or using his name as a sympathy ploy to advance a health care bill that would deny Americans the choices Senator Kennedy had is an insult and is supreme hypocrisy,” he said on his show Wednesday. "The senator's passing is going to give them the opportunity to use the sympathy play to get as much done in his name as possible."
Meanwhile, a second group opposing Democrats' health care plan announced today it is withdrawing its TV ads out of respect for Kennedy.
The Associated Press reports that the US Chamber of Commerce said it is suspending its $7.5 million, 21-state campaign, which criticizes the government-run coverage that many Democrats favor, until early next week.
On Wednesday, Conservatives for Patients Rights also said it was temporarily halting its ads, including one running in the Boston area that was aimed at Obama vacationing on Martha's Vineyard.
UPDATE: Asked today about how President Obama looks at some liberal groups' "win one for Kennedy" push on health care, White House spokesman Bill Burton replied, "Our country lost a beloved leader and the politics and implications of that are the last thing on the president's mind right now."
Pressed on whether Kennedy's death is being used in a "political way," Burton said, "We've all experienced a pretty big loss and Americans are going to have different reactions and find different ways to memorialize his life. [The president]'s not going to make a comment on what every single person does to memorialize or remember or talk about Senator Kennedy and his passing. There will be a time when it's appropriate to have discussions on different ramifications, but I don't think anybody thinks that now is it."
FULL ENTRYRepublicans warn seniors about Obama plans
In their latest assault on President Obama's health care plans, Republicans are aiming for a vulnerable spot -- the fears of seniors that their care will get worse or more costly.
"Republicans want reform that should, first, do no harm, especially to our seniors," Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele writes in an opinion piece in today's Washington Post. "That is why Republicans support a Seniors' Health Care Bill of Rights, which we are introducing today, to ensure that our greatest generation will receive access to quality health care. We also believe that any health-care reform should be fully paid for, but not funded on the backs of our nation's senior citizens."
The bill of rights for seniors includes protecting Medicare from major cuts, preserving the doctor-patient relationship, banning any rationing of care or interference in end-of-life decisions, guaranteeing that seniors can keep their current coverage, and protecting current veterans' health care programs.
Obama and Democrats plan on substantial savings in Medicare, but insist that those changes would not mean less care. They also support more research to determine the most cost-effective treatments, but adamantly deny that would lead to rationing of care -- which they argue is being done by private insurers already.
"Barack Obama campaigned on 'post-partisanship,' " Steele concludes. "As president, however, Obama has shown that he is beholden to his party's left-wing ideologues. It's not too late for him to honor his pledges for bipartisan health-care reform. Reversing course and joining Republicans in support of health care for our nation's senior citizens is a good place to start. Doing so will help him restart the reform process to give Americans access to low-cost, high-quality health care." (Read his full op-ed here.)
The Democratic National Committee responded by saying that the health overhaul would help seniors by holding down costs and closing the so-called donut hole in prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D. It also said that Republicans are continuing to mislead the public in their attempt to kill the overhaul.
“It should be no surprise that the Republican Party - which whipped many Americans into a frenzy at town hall meetings on health care this month by spreading one lie about reform after another - has now taken to scaring seniors who have nothing to fear and much to gain from reform," DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse said in a statement. "But what's really incredible is that this feigned interest in Medicare and the plight of seniors is coming from the Republican Party -- the very party which opposed Social Security and only four years ago tried to dismantle it -- and the very Republican Party which opposed the creation of Medicare to begin with. Republicans are fighting against reform for one reason - to 'break' President Obama and gain political advantage. As a result, when it comes to their arguments against reform -- for Republicans it's any port in a storm.”
Obama slams 'outrageous myths' on health care; Republicans say president 'plays fast and loose' with facts
He may be on vacation, but through the magic of prerecorded video and audio, President Obama is keeping up his health care campaign today.
In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama both tries to debunk what he calls "outrageous myths" and seeks to rally support.
Taking on his critics, he says that while he welcomes a vigorous debate, "it also should be an honest debate, not one dominated by willful misrepresentations and outright distortions, spread by the very folks who would benefit the most by keeping things exactly as they are."
In the Republican response, Representative Tom Price of Georgia, a doctor by trade, says while that the status quo on health care is unacceptable, giving the government too much control -- represented by the "one-size-fits-all approach" of Obama and congressional Democrats -- would make the situation worse.
"Now whether it’s the government choosing what should be in your family’s health care plan, or a bureaucratic board deciding what treatments are appropriate and who should receive them, the president’s plan is a 1,000-page expression supporting the notion that Washington knows best when it comes to your family’s health care," Price says. "And that’s simply not true."
Obama ticks off some false claims by opponents: "Let’s start with the false claim that illegal immigrants will get health insurance under reform. That’s not true. Illegal immigrants would not be covered. That idea has never even been on the table. Some are also saying that coverage for abortions would be mandated under reform. Also false. When it comes to the current ban on using tax dollars for abortions, nothing will change under reform. And as every credible person who has looked into it has said, there are no so-called 'death panels' -- an offensive notion to me and to the American people. These are phony claims meant to divide us.
Obama also says he does not support a "government takeover" of health care, and tries to clarify the "public option" -- a government plan along the lines of Medicare to compete with private insurers. "It would be just an option; those who prefer their private insurer would be under no obligation to shift to a public plan," he says.
The president, who has used his weekly address to state his case on health care for more than a month now, then goes on to list the help that he wants to give people who already have insurance, including protections from being denied coverage for preexisting coverage and being charged exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses.
"Taken together, the reforms we’re seeking will help bring down skyrocketing costs, which will mean real savings for families, businesses, and government," he says, trying to rally more support.
"It has never been easy, moving this nation forward. There are always those who oppose it, and those who use fear to block change. But what has always distinguished America is that when all the arguments have been heard, and all the concerns have been voiced, and the time comes to do what must be done, we rise above our differences, grasp each others’ hands, and march forward as one nation and one people, some of us Democrats, some of us Republicans, all of us Americans," Obama adds, perhaps somewhat more hopefully than realistically.
In rebuttal, Price says that as opposition to Obama's plan has grown, the president says he wants to "stamp out some of the disinformation floating around out there.
"The problem is the president, himself, plays fast and loose with the facts," Price says." So as someone who’s taken care of patients, I’d like to take a moment to clear up a couple of the President’s worst offenses."
He asserts that while Obama says Americans can keep their insurance plan, a provision in the bill would require every plan within five years to meet new guidelines "that your current plan might not match, even if you like it."
Price also says that a public option plan, "when the government is setting the rules and is backed by tax dollars," will "destroy – not compete – with the private sector.
"But perhaps the most striking misinformation the president has put forth is that there are only two options out there for America -- that it's his way or the highway. That it's either the government running the show -- or insurance companies. The truth is there is a third way -- a better way, a patient-centered way to reform health care," Price says.
And Republicans are offering that approach, he says: "We have plans to increase coverage and lower costs without putting a bureaucrat between you and your doctor. We believe that what’s good for patients is good for American health care."
Obama's full address can be viewed here and is below.
Price's full address can be viewed here and is below.
Obama seeks advice from Daschle
Would President Obama's health care push be going more smoothly if his first choice for health reform czar was working for it?
It's a Washington parlor game hypothetical, but it's also interesting that the last person that Obama talked to today on the topic before starting his 10-day vacation was Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader who was the nominee to be both health and human services secretary and health czar.
His nomination was derailed by tax issues, and Obama split the job between Kathleen Sebelius as health secretary and Nancy DeParle as health czar. While accomplished in their own right, neither has the combination of congressional clout and political savvy Daschle possesses.
"The president invited Senator Daschle to the White House for a quick check-in on the health insurance reform process and to exchange views on the process moving forward," the White House said in a statement after today's private session.
"Senator Daschle is one of the foremost experts on health care and on the legislative process, and has been a friend and sounding-board for the President for several years. The two agreed that substantive reform that lowers costs, reforms the insurance industry, and expands coverage is too important to wait another year or another administration, and they agreed to stay in touch over the coming weeks and months as this critical effort moves forward.”
What is 'wee-weed' again?
It was his most curious turn of phrase as President Obama tried to rally the troops on health care.
Speaking Thursday to Organizing for America, his grassroots army, Obama compared the worries that he's lost his momentum on health care to August 2007, when he was well behind in the Iowa caucuses -- which he eventually won as a springboard to the Democratic nomination -- and to last August, when the buzz over Sarah Palin temporarily boosted the Republican ticket.
"The media was obsessed with it, and cable was 24 hours a day, and 'Obama's lost his mojo,' " the president said to laughter. "You remember all that? There's something about August going into September where everybody in Washington gets all wee-weed up. I don't know what it is. But that's what happens."
The "wee-weed up" part raised some eyebrows, and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs was asked for a definition today.
"I don't know if I should do that from the podium. It's a phrase I use, but..." he said, telling reporters he wanted to keep the briefing "family friendly."
"I think wee-weed up is when people just get all nervous for no particular reason," Gibbs continued. "So this is just sort of an August pundit pattern between people getting overly nervous for something that still has a long way to go.
Finally, Obama's chief spokesman gave it up: The PG-rated term for "wee-weed" is bed-wetting.
Ad tries to press key Republicans
Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine and the two other Finance Committee Republicans in the "Gang of Six" trying to come up with a bipartisan health bill are under pressure from the right not to give away the store.
The conservative Club for Growth launched TV ads targeted at Snowe, Mike Enzi of Wyoming, and Charles Grassley of Iowa.
The spot notes the key role the three senators are playing. "There's no harm in talking," the announcer says.
But the announcer then warns that what Democrats are talking about includes a government-run health plan, bureaucrats deciding coverage, new regulations that would kill small business, and tax hikes.
"Tell Senator Snowe not to cave in to the liberals on health care," the announcer concludes.
The Gang of Six had a conference call Thursday night, and according to the Washington Post, they agreed to continue working toward a bill that could win support from the rank-and-file in both parties, despite increasing reports that Democrats and President Obama are prepared to go it alone, if need be.
The group agreed to talk again on Sept. 4, three days before Congress reconvenes after its August recess, the Post said.
Conservative ad aims at Obama on Vineyard
If President Obama turns on the TV while on holiday on Martha's Vineyard, he likely won't escape attacks on his health care plan.
Conservatives for Patients' Rights, the group founded by former health executive Rick Scott that has helped organize protests at congressional town halls, is putting up a TV ad called "Surf's Up."
"The beach is nice this time of year," the announcer says over a seaside scene. "But while President Obama vacations, concerns mount about his health care plan."
The announcer criticizes the public option that Obama prefers -- a government plan like Medicare that would compete with private insurers -- and says it would lead to government-run health care, higher taxes, and higher deficits.
"Let's get on with real reform to lower costs and protect patients rights," the announcer concludes.
The group plans to spend $150,000 airing the spot in the Boston-area TV market, including on NESN during games next week between the Red Sox and Obama's beloved Chicago White Sox, CNN says.
Poll: Hits on health care hurting faith in Obama
Another poll out today is cause for concern for President Obama's health care agenda as he leaves for vacation first at Camp David, then Martha's Vineyard.
In the Washington Post/ABC News survey, 49 percent of Americans say they believe Obama will be able to drive significant improvements in the health care system, down nearly 20 percentage points from before he took office.
As Republicans and other critics continue to hammer his health care proposals, confidence in Obama's overall leadership is also eroding, according to the poll: 49 percent of respondents express confidence that he will make the right decisions for the country, down from 60 percent at the 100-day mark in his presidency.
His overall job approval rating, 57 percent, is down 12 percentage points from its April peak, and his disapproval number has risen to 40 percent, its highest yet.
The national survey was conducted Aug. 13-17 and has a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released earlier this week suggested that Obama and Democrats had lost control of the health care message as many Americans believed what critics had been saying about the proposals.
Liberal group hits 'real death panels'
A liberal-labor coalition is trying to turn the contretemps over "death panels" on its head with its latest TV ad that says the real death panels are the insurance company committees that deny coverage.
The ad from Americans United for Change, which it says will start airing next week, points out that opponents' claims that Democratic health bills would create committees of bureaucrats who would decide who would receive life-saving care have been widely debunked. (But a key negotiator in the Senate says it won't be in the bill because of the room for misinterpretation.)
"Unfortunately, there are real death panels in America," the announcer says.
Linda Peeno, a former medical director for both Humana Insurance and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, is shown testifying at a congressional hearing, "In the spring of 1987, as a physician, I denied a man a necessary operation that would have saved his life and thus caused his death…and I am haunted by the thousands of pieces of paper on which I have written that deadly word, 'denial.' "
"We need health insurance reform now," the announcer concludes.
“Conservative politicians and pundits will do anything to keep the 'death panels' fantasy alive and well as part of an unscrupulous and concerted effort to kill health insurance reform. But where’s the hysteria from these same conservatives over the real death panels that exist right now in America with the big insurance companies denying millions of Americans the care they need by citing 'pre-existing'’ conditions?” Jeremy Funk, Americans United for Change's communications director, said in a statement today.
It is among the groups supporting President Obama and congressional Democrats in their health overhaul push -- and fighting Republican and conservative groups running ads and organizing protests as members of Congress hear from their constitutents during the August recess.
Obama ramps up again on health care
President Obama is making his health care pitch today to two very different audiences -- one friendly, one not so much.
Obama is on the air with Philadelphia-based talk radio host Michael Smerconish, who is broadcasting his program from the Diplomatic Room in the White House. Smerconish's audience is generally conservative and will likely include quite a few foes of the president's health care proposals, though the host endorsed Obama last year.
Smerconish, who said he has received more than 5,000 emails in the last 24 hours, asked whether Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services, misspoke when she said on
"She didn't really misspeak," Obama replied, asserting that his message has stayed the same -- that a public option is one way, but not the only way, to control costs. "The press got a little excited and some folks on the left got a little excited."
Obama also disputed that he favors a government takeover of health care. "I would love the private marketplace to handle this without any government intervention," he said. "The problem is, it's not working."
The president said he wants to preserve the private market, but add consumer protections.
In response to a listener's question, Obama strongly disputed claims that the Democratic health care bills would provide coverage to illegal immigrants.
"No one has talked about giving health insurance to illegal immigrants. I want to make that absolutely clear," he said.
But he said it will continue to be the case that if an illegal immigrant shows up in the emergency room, he or she will get treated.
Obama said he doesn't want a situation that a child with tuberculosis isn't treated, then returns to the playground and threatens to infect "our kids."
Plus, he said, there should be "a basic standard of decency" to provide care when someone faces a life-threatening illness or injury.
Another listener asked whether Obama's "knees were buckling a little bit" even with Democrats controlling Congress and the White House.
"I guarantee to you Joe that we're going to get health care reform done," Obama declared, bemoaning what he called "hand-wringing" and media fascination with every legislative twist and turn. "Passing a big bill like this is always messy."
He also said he wants to give Republicans a chance to be part of a compromise, but won't compromise his core principles on health care. (The full transcript of the interview is below.)
Representative Eric Cantor's office responded to Obama's interview by questioning the sincerity of his bipartisan push.
"We would love to know when, exactly – time, date, place – the President or his staff reached out to Republican Leaders?" Brad Dayspring, spokesman for the No. 2 House Republican, said in an email.
"In fact, the White House blatantly ignored our outreach effort. In May, House Republican Leaders sent the President a letter detailing Republican principles, asking to work together on meaningful, bipartisan reform that Americans could support. And the President’s response? Meeting? Nah. Work together? No thanks. Further discussion? Nope. Instead, they went with, ' Thanks for the letter.' ”
Later this afternoon, Obama held an online-phone strategy meeting with Organizing for America, the current iteration of his presidential campaign that is armed with 13 million or so email addresses.
UPDATE: Obama did the pep rally in a small room at the Democratic National Committee, where about 50 volunteers chanted "Yes, we can," Obama's campaign slogan.
According to the press pool report, Obama talked about the hardships of his longshot campaign, and compared them with his push for health care reform.
"Now, we all know this has been an emotional debate. We've seen tempers flare. Accusations have been hurled. And sometimes it seems like one loud voice can drown out all the civil, sensible voices out there," Obama said.
"But remember one thing: Nothing's more powerful than millions of voices calling for change. That's how we won this election. You know this. And that's why, since OFA launched its health reform campaign in June, you've hosted 11,000 events in more than 2,500 towns in every single state and every single congressional district, which is remarkable."
"We are not going to give up now," Obama said after answering questions. (Listen to the event here.) The full transcript of the event is below.
He needs to rally his troops, whom Democratic officials acknowledge have not been as energized by the complex health care debate as by Obama's "change we can believe in" campaign last year. Valerie Jarrett, a top Obama adviser, warned liberal bloggers last week that the health care push is "an uphill battle, and it won't happen unless we energize our base."
David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, told supporters in the email invitation for today's huddle that "the special interests and partisan attack groups who oppose reform will not let up, and they will tell whatever lies they can to spread fear. There's a lot more work for all of us to do."
Late Wednesday, the group told backers it has launched its own truth-squadding website (the White House already has one) called "Setting the Record Straight."
"It feels like a new lie about health insurance reform crops up each day. Government taking over all health care? Not true. Euthanasia for seniors? Couldn't be more false. Rationing of care? Reform will stop rationing, not increase it," wrote Organizing for America director Mitch Stewart.
"These lies create fear and anger, and we're seeing the results around the country....It's time to set the record straight -- and, more importantly, expose the special interests and partisan attack organizations behind the lies and misinformation."
Biden announces medical record grants
Vice President Joe Biden today announced that $1.2 billion in grants are available from the economic stimulus package for projects to accelerate the use of electronic health records -- an area where Massachusetts is at the forefront.
“With electronic health records, we are making health care safer; we’re making it more efficient; we’re making you healthier; and we’re saving money along the way, ”Biden said in the announcement in Chicago. “These are four necessities we need for healthcare in the 21st-century.”
The grants include $598 million to establish 70 Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers, which will provide hospitals and doctors with hands-on technical assistance, and $564 million to states and agencies to support information sharing with a nationwide system of networks.
"With these programs, we begin the process of creating a national, private and secure electronic health information system. The grants are designed to help doctors and hospitals acquire electronic health records and use them in meaningful ways to improve the health of patients and reduce waste and inefficiency,” added David Blumenthal, the administration's national coordinator for health information technology who is a former doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard professor.
“They will also help states lead the way in creating the infrastructure for health information exchange, which enables information to follow patients within and across communities, wherever the information is needed to help doctors and patients make the best decisions about medical care.”
But some specialists warn against expanding current electronic record systems, saying they are cumbersome and cannot easily share information.
Romney: Obama bowing to liberals on health care
Mitt Romney is probably one of the last people President Obama is looking to for advice on how to get a health care bill done.
But the former Massachusetts governor, who sought the GOP presidential nomination last year and could very well run again in 2012, offered some guidance anyway this morning.
Romney said on CBS's "Early Show" that the president is to blame for the slowing momentum on the bill, faulting Obama for giving too much say to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic liberals.
"If the president wants to get something done, he needs to put aside the extreme liberal wing of his party," Romney said.
While Obama has been stumping for a sweeping health care bill, he has left the details of the drafting to Congress, where majority Democrats are divided. Members of the Blue Dog coalition of conservative Democrats have balked at some provisions, and more moderate Democrats in the Senate are still trying to cut a deal with Republicans. The intraparty divisions emerged clearly this week when it appeared that Obama was backing away from insisting that a public option be part of any bill.
Kennedy looks to set stage for successor
Jason Reed/Reuters
Kennedy flashed a trademark smile in April after President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act at a Washington school.
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, in a poignant acknowledgment of his mortality amid a critical time in the national health care debate, has privately asked the governor and legislative leaders to change the succession law to guarantee that Massachusetts will not lack a Senate vote in the event of his death.
In a personal, sometimes wistful letter sent Tuesday to Governor Deval L. Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray, and House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Kennedy asks that Patrick be given the authority to appoint someone to the seat temporarily while voters choose a new senator in a special election.
While Kennedy, who is battling cancer, does not specifically mention his illness or the health reform debate raging in Washington, the implication from his letter is clear: He is trying to make sure that the leading cause of his life -- better health coverage for all -- advances in the event of his death.
Kennedy said in his letter, which was obtained by the Globe, that he supports the current law, which gives voters the power to fill a Senate vacancy. But he said the state and country need two Massachusetts senators.
"I strongly support that law and the principle that the people should elect their senator,” Kennedy wrote. ''I also believe it is vital for this Commonwealth to have two voices speaking for the needs of its citizens and two votes in the Senate during the approximately five months between a vacancy and an election.''
FULL ENTRYFaith groups weigh in on health care
Wanting their voices heard in the health care debate as well, two religious-based groups are holding events today -- but only one will get a cameo appearance by President Obama.
Faith in Public Life had Obama plus a senior administration official for a live webcast call-in this afternoon called “40 Minutes for Health Reform."
UPDATE: The coalition said that an estimated 140,000 people listened in on the call.
In the conference call with the liberal religious leaders, Obama called health insurance coverage for all Americans a "core ethical and moral obligation." He disputed claims that Democratic bills fund abortions, give benefits to illegal immigrants, or create "death panels" that would decide who gets expensive end-of-life treatment.
"I know that there's been a lot of misinformation in this debate and there are a some folks out there who are, frankly, bearing false witness," Obama said. "I need you to spread the facts and speak the truth."
The group says that "people of faith who have experienced the consequences of our broken system will share their stories" and that "clergy working in their own communities to reform health care will highlight ways they are impacting the debate. "
The group, which is sponsored by more than 30 religious denominations and organizations, says it includes lay leaders, clergy, and others from across the political spectrum and from different ideologies, religious traditions, and races.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele put his own spin on the meeting with faith leaders, who talk about the moral dimension of health care.
“President Obama was hoping to be on offense during the month of August to travel the country and put on the hard sell for government-run health care," Steele said in a statement this afternoon. "Instead, President Obama is frantically struggling to shore up his base. The religious left talks about their desire for ‘social justice.’ No bill that funds abortion or strips health care services away from seniors and low-income Americans can or should be considered just, and that is precisely what the president’s plan does.”
Meanwhile, another organization will hold a counter-conference call later tonight to offer an anti-abortion alternative and mobilize its voters on health care. More than 320,000 pro-life voters will be invited to take part in the teleconference.
“Tens of thousands of pro-lifers across America have already contacted their legislators to urge the preservation of our long-standing tradition of limiting taxpayer funds for abortion, but now is the time to turn up the heat," Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. "Without language to explicitly exclude an abortion mandate, the legislation will result in Americans footing the bill for abortion on-demand in the largest expansion of government-backed abortion since Roe v. Wade.”
UPDATE: That group claimed that 160,000 took part in its conference call.
Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life, added in a statement:
“The call for reform as a ‘moral imperative’ rings hollow with Americans because the overwhelming majority firmly oppose taxpayer funding for abortion coverage. Abortion is not healthcare. Real healthcare respects life. As the Hippocratic Oath reminds us, health care grounded in a moral imperative protects the most vulnerable among us including the unborn and the elderly. Real healthcare does not fund the destruction of unborn children and it does not delay or deny care to the sick, elderly and weak among us, but that is the prospect we currently face.”
And Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said in a statement:
“The Religious Left, that has blindly put their faith in this Administration’s attempted takeover of health care, has repeatedly said they do not want to get into the weeds on the policy aspects of health care reform. Instead they say their focus is on the moral mandate that all people have health care. Ensuring that taxpayer are not forced to fund abortions and that the conscience rights of health care workers are protected is not getting into the weeds, but rather it is ensuring that health care reform is kept on a higher moral plain.”
Democrats renew threat to go it alone
There's quite a bit of buzz today that Democrats might go it alone on a health care overhaul, giving up on a bipartisan bill because of Republican intransigence and unwillingness to compromise.
But that prospect isn't all that new.
In April, congressional Democrats reached a deal that would let the Senate pass a bill with a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican filibuster. Under that agreement, the parliamentary maneuver -- known as reconciliation -- would be used only if the Senate fails to pass a bill by Oct. 15.
The New York Times and CNN, among others, are reporting that there is more focus on just getting enough Democrats' votes to pass a health care bill after the Republican criticism during the town halls being held by members of Congress during the August recess.
But the White House is already pushing back, with spokesman Robert Gibbs telling reporters this morning that it's still only mid-August and there is plenty of time to shape a bill that could win broad support.
Gibbs told reporters this afternoon that the White House still wants a bipartisan deal and believes that key Republicans are still working toward one in good faith.
"The president believes strongly in working with Republicans and Democrats, independents, any that seek to reform health care, that want to see costs cut, coverage increased, insurance reforms implemented that no longer discriminate against families and individuals," he said.
But asked whether that preference trumps Obama's oft-stated goal of getting a bill passed this year, Gibbs replied, "It does not."
And Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus said he's still optimistic that his bipartisan "Gang of Six" is on track to produce a compromise bill by Sept. 15.
Republicans, instead of going ballistic about being frozen out, are treating the possibility as old news. The office of Representative Eric Cantor, the No. 2 House Republican, said today that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made it clear for a while now that Democrats would pass a bill without GOP support and that the White House has not made much effort at reaching out to Republicans.
“The announcement that Democrats will abandon bipartisanship in order to pass their costly government takeover of health care is nothing new," House Republican leader John Boehner said in a statement today. "From day one, the White House has taken a go-it-alone approach on health care. Months ago, Republicans sent the president a letter noting areas of potential common ground on health care reform and requesting a meeting with him to discuss a bipartisan way forward. The administration rejected our efforts to work together, choosing instead to craft a costly government takeover of health care and to march forward on a partisan basis solely with Democrats in Congress.
“Now, Democratic leaders find themselves all alone in support of a plan that will drive health care costs higher than ever, increase the federal deficit, slash Medicare, and let government bureaucrats make personal medical decisions that only patients and doctors should make," Boehner added. "The more the American people learn about this plan, the less they like it. It’s time for President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and congressional Democrats to scrap this costly plan, start over and work with Republicans on reforms that make health care more affordable and accessible for middle-class families and small businesses.”
Frank turns tables on health care critic
A town hall held by Representative Barney Frank has joined the pantheon of at-times rowdy face-offs on health care this month.
But instead of a shouting critic getting the best of the congressman, this time it was a zinger from the Newton Democrat that drew the most notice and was featured on CNN.
His town hall Tuesday night in Dartmouth drew more than 500 people, who asked how the nation could afford a health care overhaul and who protested a bigger government role. He admonished the protestors, saying that shouting prevented a serious debate on the issue.
He reserved his most biting response, however, for one questioner, a woman who went to the microphone carrying a poster of President Obama with a Hitler-style mustache. The exchange has been replayed repeatedly on cable TV today.
"Why do you continue to support a Nazi policy?" she asked Frank.
"On what planet do you spend most of your time?" he shot back, as the crowd applauded.
Blasting the woman -- apparently a supporter of fringe presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche -- for comparing a bid to improve health care to the Nazis, Frank went on to say that it was "a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated."
And for good measure, he added, "Ma'am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it."
Poll: Americans split on 'public option'
With the health care fight focusing on the so-called public option, a new poll shows that Americans are divided on the issue.
According to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey released today, 47 percent of Americans oppose a government plan to compete with private insurers, while 43 percent support it. That's the reverse of last month, before it became such a big issue, when 46 percent backed the idea and 44 percent were against it.
The poll also found that 48 percent agreed with opponents' argument that a public plan would reduce choice of doctors and limit treatment options, while 45 percent agree with supporters' description that the public plan would help lower costs and extend coverage to the uninsured.
UPDATE: The poll also found that Obama's marks on the handling of health care are dropping to 47 percent disapproval and 41 percent approval. But that's still better than Republicans, who earned 61 percent disapproval on the issue.
But 54 percent of respondents said they were worried about the health care overhaul "going too far." And majorities said that the overhaul would cover illegal immigrants, mean a government takeover, and lead to tax-funded abortions -- though the bill sponsors dispute that. A minority, 45 percent, said the changes would mean "death panels" -- the widely debunked notion that a provision would create committees of bureaucrats who would decide when to stop medical care to the elderly.
The poll, conducted Saturday through Monday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Obama's grassroots army invited to step up
President Obama's grassroots organization will hold a forum on Thursday with the president on the health care fight and how it can help.
"The President will update us on the fight to pass real health insurance reform -- what's happening in D.C. and what's happening around the country. He'll lay out our strategy and message going forward and answer questions from supporters like you. And we'll unveil the next actions we'll organize together," Obama's former campaign manager, David Plouffe, wrote the 13 million members of Organizing for America this afternoon.
"This is a critical time in this President's administration, and in the history of our country. I hope you can join us," he said in the invitation to take part by phone or via the web.
In the email, Plouffe says that Organizing for America has organized nearly 12,000 events since it began its health care push in June and that about 60,000 members visited members of Congress during their recess. But the New York Times reported over the weekend that many members aren't as excited and involved in health care as they were during the campaign.
Angry letters on health care
It's a tale of two letters as the health care debate continues apace today.
Sixty House Democrats have written a letter of protest to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who prompted a rebellion by liberals, by saying Sunday that the "public option" -- a government health plan to compete with private insurers -- was not an "essential element" of a health care overhaul as far as the Obama administration was concerned.
Their letter (first reported by the firedoglake.com and Plum Line blogs) is signed by the co-chairpersons of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. (Read it here.)
"The opportunity to improve access to health care is a onetime opportunity," they wrote. "Americans deserve reform that is real-not smoke and mirrors. We cannot rely solely on the insurance companies’ good faith efforts to provide for our constituents. A robust public option is essential, if we are to ensure that all Americans can receive health care that is accessible, guaranteed and of high-quality."
UPDATE: Sebelius, herself, tried to get back on message today, repeating the White House line that Obama hasn't changed his position and still prefers a public option, though the administration is open to other ways to offer competition to private insurers.
"All I can tell you is that Sunday must have been a very slow news day because here's the bottom line: Absolutely nothing has changed. We continue to support the public option. That will help lower costs, give American consumers more choice and keep private insurers honest," she said during a speech on Medicare to the US Commission on Aging.
"If people have other ideas about how to accomplish these goals, we'll look at those, too. But the public option is a very good way to do this. I've seen it work for state employees in states like Kansas where a public option is side-by-side with private insurers, offering competition and choice for state employees. It's what it does when it provides choice in markets that are often dominated by one insurance company, a monopoly that can charge what it wants because it has no competition."
On the other side, House GOP leader John Boehner has written to Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) President and CEO Billy Tauzin, urging him to reconsider the powerful drug industry's support of Obama's overall thrust, or as Boehner puts it "Washington Democrats’ government takeover of health care." (Read it here.)
The drug industry agreed to kick in $80 billion in savings over 10 years to help pay for the overhaul and help fund a pro-reform ad campaign. In return, the White House agreed not to push for additional concessions.
"Appeasement rarely works as a conflict resolution strategy," Boehner writes. "This is as true in the arena of policymaking as it is in schoolyards across America. When a bully asks for your lunch money, you may have no choice but to fork it over. But cutting a deal with the bully is a different story, particularly if the “deal” means helping him steal others’ money as the price of protecting your own."
"The simple truth is, two wrongs don’t make a right. And the short-sighted health care deal PhRMA struck with the Obama Administration at your urging provides confirmation of this time-tested maxim on an epic and tragic scale."
"PhRMA would do well to halt this short-sighted, misguided campaign and listen to the American people, rather than continue to collaborate on an effort to spin them," Boehner adds.
Liberals urge Obama to keep public option
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The liberal backlash is already starting.
Seeking Republican support for its healthcare overhaul, the White House suggested over the weekend that it would be open to dropping the so-called public option -- a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers and keep them honest on price and quality.
The Obama team hinted that it would consider a nonprofit health cooperative -- being proposed by key senators -- as an alternative to a government plan.
Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor and Democratic Party chief during last year's campaign, urged the president today to stay firm with a public option.
"You can't really do health reform without it," Dean, a leader of the party's liberal wing, said on morning news shows. He called a direct government role "the entirety of health care reform."
On MSNBC, Dean said this afternoon that a while a few small coops have worked in places like Washington state, "it doesn't work" nationally.
The problem, he said, is it was tried in the form of Blue Cross/Blue Shield, which started as a nonprofit and which now acts like a private insurer.
Without a public option, the overhaul bill would just funnel more money to an industry that has acted "abominably," Dean said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi renewed her support for a public option, quoting Obama's own words.
“As the President stated in March, ‘The thinking on the public option has been that it gives consumers more choices and it helps keep the private sector honest, because there's some competition out there.'
“We agree with the President that a public option will keep insurance companies honest and increase competition," Pelosi said in a statement. "There is strong support in the House for a public option. In the House, all three of our bills contain a public option, as does the bill from the Senate HELP Committee. A public option is the best option to lower costs, improve the quality of health care, ensure choice and expand coverage. The public option brings real reform to lower costs over the 10-year period of the bill.”
Representative Anthony Weiner, a New York Democrat who has compared leaving private insurers in charge to "making a pyromaniac the fire chief," predicted that the bill won't win a majority in the House without the public plan.
"I would love to be one of the big supporters of the Obama plan, but I've got to know that it includes a public option." he said this afternoon on CNN.
"Look, the president has to lead on this and he has to say very clearly a public option is important that we could -- that we hold these insurance companies accountable and provide some competition," Weiner added. "I would love to be the one carrying the ball for him, but unless he says a public option is the way to go, I'm going to be a no and so will a lot of people."
Senator Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, weighed in with his own statement:
"A public option is a fundamental part of ensuring health care reform brings about real change. Opposing the public plan is an endorsement of the status quo in this country that has left tens of millions of Americans uninsured or underinsured and put massive burdens on employers. I have heard too many horror stories from my constituents about how the so-called competitive marketplace has denied them coverage from the outset, offered a benefit plan that covers everything but what they need or failed them some other way. A strong public option would ensure competition in the industry to provide the best, most affordable insurance for Americans and bring down the skyrocketing health care costs that are the biggest contributor to our long-term budget deficits. I am not interested in passing health care reform in name only. Without a public option, I don't see how we will bring real change to a system that has made good health care a privilege for those who can afford it.”
The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor federation that has been a loyal Obama ally, also said it would "forcefully" urge the White House and Senate to keep the public option in the bill.
"A quality public health insurance option is a crucial part of health care reform to keep private insurance companies honest, hold down costs and ensure that everybody has a health care choice available. Key to holding down costs for families, for businesses, and for the federal budget is forcing insurance companies to compete. And the only way to force real competition on the insurance companies is a strong public plan option," president John Sweeney said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, the usual suspects opposed to reform are trying to hijack the reform process and attacking the public health insurance plan option because they are afraid of competition and they want to keep gouging working families. But unless we take decisive steps to stop the crippling rise of health costs, we will have squandered this moment of opportunity."
UPDATE: Though many observers heard a change in the language that Obama used at a town hall on Saturday and that Sebelius used, the White House insisted today that Obama's position had not shifted significantly.
"His preference is a public option," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters on Air Force One returning from the president's four-day Western trip. "If there are other ideas, he's happy to look at them....I think this is true not only for the issue of health care, but for virtually every other issue that he'll ever deal with in public life is he has goals about what he wants to accomplish and he's not necessarily wedded to only one way of getting there. I think he's said that a hundred times."
Gibbs added, "I challenge you guys all to go back and see what we've said about this over the course of many, many, many, many months, and you'll find a boring consistency to our rhetoric."
Republicans, meanwhile, are not welcoming the possible concession.
Instead, the Republican National Committee sent out a list of comments from Democrats to back up its case that co-ops could be a disguise for another form of the public option.
" 'Public option' by any other name is still government-run health care," the RNC said, adding that the reports of the demise of the public option are "greatly exaggerated."
Still, the issue could divide the Democratic coalition that has been united behind Obama on health care.
Even as Kathleen Sebelius, the health and human services secretary, was saying on CNN Sunday that the public option was not an "essential element" for reform, the Democratic National Committee was all over Dick Armey, a former House Republican leader and now head of the conservative group FreedomWorks, for saying on NBC that a government insurance option would amount to tyranny.
"If you give a government program and let me choose to be in or choose to be out, that's generosity. If you force me in, irrespective of my desires, that's tyranny," Armey said.
DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse responded, “If Dick Armey thinks government involvement in health care is tyranny, he must be forgetting or ignoring the fact that Medicare is a government plan that has been praised as one of the most successful programs ever -- a plan which is popular among seniors and runs better and with lower administrative costs than virtually any private insurance plan. If Republicans like Dick Armey are going to continue to rail against government involvement in health care, they should come forward to call for the abolition of Medicare and Medicaid and if not, just admit that their rhetoric is just part of their political strategy to 'break' the President and derail reform.”
Obama addresses veterans
President Obama, all about health care all the time recently, returned his attention today again to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
For the first time, an African-American commander-in-chief addressed the nation's largest group of combat veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Phoenix.
While Obama has been stumping for his health care plan, renewed violence is threatening the handover of security to the government in Iraq, where 130,000 US troops remain. Obama has pledged to withdraw all combat troops by next August.
"The transition to full Iraqi responsibility for their own security is now underway. This progress is a testament to all those who have served in Iraq, both uniformed and civilian. And our nation owes these Americans -- and all who have given their lives -- a profound debt of gratitude," Obama told 13,000 VFW members.
"As Iraqis take control of their destiny, they will be tested and targeted. Those who seek to sow sectarian division will attempt more senseless bombings, more killing of innocents. This we know," he added. "But as we move forward, the Iraqi people must know that the United States will keep its commitments."
In Afghanistan, US and coalition forces dealt with the bloodiest month yet in July and casualties are piling up this month as well in advance of a key national election. About 62,000 US troops are fighting there, including most of the 21,000 additional forces that Obama dispatched to lead a new strategy to root out al Qaeda and its Taliban allies in the remote border region with Pakistan.
"They've gone into new areas -- taking the fight to the Taliban in villages and towns where residents have been terrorized for years. They're adapting new tactics, knowing that it's not enough to kill extremists and terrorists; we also need to protect the Afghan people and improve their daily lives. And today, our troops are helping to secure polling places for this week's election so Afghans can choose the future that they want," Obama said.
"These new efforts have not been without a price. The fighting has been fierce. More Americans have given their lives. And as always, the thoughts and prayers of every American are with those who make the ultimate sacrifice in our defense. As I said when I announced this strategy, there will be more difficult days ahead. The insurgency in Afghanistan didn’t just happen overnight. And we won’t defeat it overnight. This will not be quick nor easy," the president added.
"But we must never forget. This is not a war of choice. This is a war of necessity. Those who attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans. This is not only a war worth fighting. This is fundamental to the defense of our people."
In his speech, the president also reprised "a vision American leadership" that amounts to the "Obama doctrine" on the use of military force: "I have made it a priority to enlist all elements of our national power in defense of our national security -- our diplomacy and development, our economic might, and our moral example. Because one of the best ways to lead our troops wisely is prevent the conflicts that cost American blood and treasure tomorrow."
"I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary," he added. "When I do, it will be based on good intelligence and guided by a sound strategy. I will give you a clear mission, defined goals, and the equipment and support you need to get the job done."
The Obama doctrine also includes a top-to-bottom review of Pentagon spending and weapons procurement to root out waste and fraud. "We cannot build the 21st century military we need -- and maintain the fiscal responsibility that Americans demand -- unless we fundamentally reform the way our defense establishment does business," he said. "It's a simple fact. Every dollar wasted in our defense budget is a dollar we can't spend to care for our troops, or protect America, or prepare for the future."
He threw in a joke about an expensive new presidential helicopter he doesn't want: "Maybe you heard about this. Among its other capabilities, it would let me cook a meal while under nuclear attack. I’ll tell you something. If the United States of America is under nuclear attack, the last thing on my mind will be whipping up a snack."
Obama also stressed his efforts to help returning veterans, including the new GI Bill that includes enhanced educational benefits.
"We will fulfill our responsibility to our forces and our families," he said. "That is why we're increasing military pay, that's building better family housing and funding more childcare and counseling to help families cope with the stresses of war. And we've changed the rules so military spouses can better compete for federal jobs and pursue their careers.
"We will fulfill our responsibility to our wounded warriors. For those still in uniform, we're investing billions of dollars for more treatment centers, more case managers, and better medical care so our troops can recover and return to where they want to be -- with their units."
Many veterans are also wary about what a health care overhaul would mean to them, especially after the Obama administration initially floated the idea of charging vets' private insurance for treatment related to service injuries.
The proposal was designed to generate more than $540 million a year for the Department of Veterans Affairs, but after veterans' groups leaders complained in March, the White House said that the president, after hearing concerns that the proposal "might, under certain circumstances, affect veterans and their families' ability to access health care," has "instructed that its consideration be dropped."
To ease those concerns, Obama made a blanket promise today: "One thing that reform won't change is veterans health care. No one is going to take away your benefits. That is the plain and simple truth."
Obama's full remarks are below:
FULL ENTRYObama, Hatch tussle on health care
The war of words over health care continues today in dueling radio/Internet addresses.
In one corner, President Obama, who in his weekly remarks, said that with health care overhaul close, the special interests are doing their best to scare and mislead Americans.
In the other corner, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, who delivering the Republican address, says that Democrats are rushing through a health care bill and that their solution is mostly throwing taxpayers' money at the problem.
They're both trying to win the public as members of Congress spend the month of August at home listening to their constituents before returning next month to resume work on legislation that Obama wants on his desk this year.
Obama directly addresses one Republican claim that a provision to offer counseling on hospice care and other end-of-life issues amounts to government "death panels" that would decide who deserves medical treatment -- and who doesn't . Though the claim has been widely debunked, a bipartisan group of senators have agreed to drop the provision, which is in House Democrats' bill, from the Senate draft.
"That rumor began with the distortion of one idea in a Congressional bill that would allow Medicare to cover voluntary visits with your doctor to discuss your end-of-life care -- if and only if you decide to have those visits. It had nothing to do with putting government in control of your decisions; in fact, it would give you all the information you need – if you want it – to put you in control of your decisions," says Obama, who said "it's disappointing, but it’s not surprising" that reform opponents are resorting to such tactics.
"Those who would stand in the way of reform will say almost anything to scare you about the cost of action," Obama adds. "But they won’t say much about the cost of inaction. If you’re worried about rationed care, higher costs, denied coverage, or bureaucrats getting between you and your doctor, then you should know that’s what’s happening right now. In the past three years, over 12 million Americans were discriminated against by insurance companies due to a preexisting condition, or saw their coverage denied or dropped just when they got sick and needed it most. Americans whose jobs and health care are secure today just don’t know if they’ll be next to join the 14,000 who lose their health insurance every single day. And if we don’t act, average family premiums will keep rising to more than $22,000 within a decade."
But for his part, Hatch pushes back at Democrats who have called the much-publicized protests at some town halls "un-American."
"Although I strongly encourage the use of respectful debate in these town halls, we should not be stifling these discussions," he says. "There is nothing ‘un-American’ about disagreements. In fact, our great nation was founded on speaking our minds."
The reason people are protesting is that they have legitimate worries about the proposals being offered by Obama and congressional Democrats.
"A big reason for this concern is that nearly 85 percent of Americans have coverage and they are really worried about what reform means for them. Especially our seniors," Hatch says.
“Republicans in Congress agree with the majority of Americans who believe that just throwing more taxpayer dollars at a problem will not deliver meaningful reform. Telling the American public that the solution for solving a $2.5 trillion health care system is to simply spend another trillion dollars in our current economy, just does not make sense," Hatch adds.
Instead, any overhaul should focus on making coverage more affordable, banning insurers from denying coverage due to a pre-existing condition, and giving states more flexibility to cover the uninsured, he says.
Obama's speech can be viewed here, and his full address is below. Hatch's speech can be viewed here, and his full remarks are below.
Obama hits insurers in second town hall
President Obama, trying to regain momentum on his health care plan, took to Montana this afternoon to continue his critique of insurers.
In the second of three town halls this week designed to convince Americans who have insurance that an overhaul would benefit them, Obama blasted insurance companies that revoke or water down coverage when patients get seriously ill.
"They get sick, and suddenly that's when they get dropped," he said, saying that responsible Americans are being held hostage by rogue insurance firms.
"It's wrong....We're going to fix it when we pass health insurance reform this year," he told a crowd of about 1,300 in an airplane hangar in Belgrade, just outside Bozeman.
When Americans hear such horror stories, he said, they should think, "There but the grace of God go I."
Obama addressed what he called the emotional debate and the tempers flaring at some congressional town halls.
"TV loves a ruckus," he said. But what people aren't seeing on television and what "makes me proud" are many constructive meetings across the country where people are having difficult conversations about health care issues.
"That's how democracy is supposed to work," the president said.
"For all the scare tactics out there, what is truly scary ... is if we do nothing," Obama said, imploring, "Fight the fear."
Obama made a point of saying none of the questions had been pre-screened for the town hall.
But the initial questions were as friendly as they were in New Hampshire earlier this week.
A young single mother of two, including a disabled son with diabetes and epilepsy, asked whether he would lose Medicaid under Obama's plans.
The president said savings in the Medicaid program would not lower benefits. "You are a heroic mom," Obama added. "Your son's lucky."
The first semi-combative question came from a man who identified himself as a National Rifle Association member and who asked how Democrats plan to pay for health care without a tax increase.
Obama said if the bill costs $800 billion to $900 billion over 10 years, two thirds can come from savings and eliminating subsidies to insurance companies. The other third will have to come from some form of tax increase.
The president said he still prefers his proposal to limit income tax deductions for higher-income Americans. The congressional bills have different ideas, but he said he will keep his campaign commitment not to raise taxes on families making less than $250,000 a year.
For his last questions, Obama asked for a skeptic.
He got an insurance salesman who asserted that insurers have good ideas for health reform, and asked why Obama is "vilifying" insurance companies.
Obama acknowledged that insurers are offering some good proposals, but some insurers are funding campaigns against any kind of reform. He said he wants to keep private insurers, but he also wants to ban certain practices that are unfair to Americans.
Obama, sans tie to be Western casual and since his trip is also partly family vacation to national parks, joked that it was nice to be in a state with moose, elk, and bull: "In Washington, you mostly have just bull. So this is a nice change of pace."
(His full opening remarks and answers to questions are below.)
To emphasize the message of the day, Obama was also introduced by Katie Gibson, a cancer survivor who was told in 1995 that she had less than a year to live and lost her coverage when she and her husband moved to Montana.
Setting up the town hall, Obama's grassroots group from his campaign, Organizing for America, released a web video this morning that details the story of one woman whose coverage was dropped after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The web video shows Robin Beaton of Waxahachie, Tex., testifying last month before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about how her insurer retroactively dropped her coverage three days before she was scheduled to have surgery to remove tumors.
Saturday in Colorado, Obama's message of the day is expected to be insurers that charge exorbitant out-of-pocket costs.
In the first town hall this week, Tuesday in Portsmouth, N.H., Obama highlighted insurers who don't cover preexisting conditions. He was introduced by Lori Hitchcock, a 52-year-old, single, self-employed Portsmouth resident who could not get insurance after being diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2003.
Obama's healthcare plan, and bills drafted by congressional Democrats, would ban all three insurer practices.
Montana is the home state to a key player in the congressional debate, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat. He spoke breifly before Obama, saying that he's going around the Big Sky state busting myths and telling the truth.
But unlike New Hampshire, which Obama won last November, Montana is a Republican state that went for GOP nominee John McCain.
And Obama will be greeted with a TV ad running in the state and financed by Conservatives for Patients' Rights, an advocacy group led by a former healthcare executive that has been helping organize protests at congressional town halls.
The spot shows a patient talking with her doctor, then a bespectacled, bow tie-wearing government bureaucrat appears with a clipboard labeled, "FEDERAL HEALTH POLICE."
The announcer urges viewers to oppose the public insurance option that Obama and many Democrats in Congress want as part of the overhaul. "It's not too late to put patients first," he says.
FULL ENTRYSenate panel drops end-of-life provision
Though the idea that the health care overhaul bills call for "death panels" that would decide end-of-life care has been widely debunked, the Senate Finance Committee is dropping the controversial provision from its version.
Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, the panel's top Republican and one of six committee members trying to negotiate a bipartisan bill, said in a statement today that the provision "could be misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly."
The provision in the House bill would allow Medicare to pay doctors for voluntary counseling sessions on end-of-life issues, including living wills and hospice as an option for the terminally ill. It is supported by the American Medical Association and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
But the provision has generated a huge uproar, particularly after Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, called it "downright evil."
In a Facebook posting late Wednesday night, Palin argued that the elderly and ailing could be coerced into accepting minimal end-of-life care to reduce health care costs. "With all due respect, it's misleading for the president to describe this section as an entirely voluntary provision that simply increases the information offered to Medicare recipients," she wrote. "It's all just more evidence that the Democratic legislative proposals will lead to health care rationing."
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said today that "death panels" are the biggest misconception the administration is trying to rebut.
In an email to Obama supporters and a letter posted on the White House website, senior adviser David Axelrod included the claim that the health care proposals would encourage "euthanasia" among eight "common myths."
"It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with these personal and difficult family decisions," Axelrod wrote.
In his town hall on health care on Tuesday in Portsmouth, N.H., President Obama took on the issue head-on.
"The rumor that's been circulating a lot lately is this idea that somehow the House of Representatives voted for 'death panels' that will basically pull the plug on grandma because we've decided it's too expensive to let her live anymore," he told the crowd.
"It turns out that I guess this arose out of a provision in one of the House bills that allowed Medicare to reimburse people for consultations about end-of-life care, setting up living wills, the availability of hospice, et cetera. So the intention of the members of Congress was to give people more information so that they could handle issues of end-of-life care when they're ready, on their own terms. It wasn't forcing anybody to do anything. This is I guess where the rumor came from.
"And somehow it's gotten spun into this idea of 'death panels.' I am not in favor of that....I want to clear the air here."
In his statement, Grassley said, "On the end-of-life issue, there's a big difference between a simple educational campaign, as some advocates want, and the way the House committee-passed bill pays physicians to advise patients about end of life care and rates physician quality of care based on the creation of and adherence to orders for end-of-life care, while at the same time creating a government-run program that is likely to lead to the rationing of care for everyone.
"On the Finance Committee, we are working very hard to avoid unintended consequences by methodically working through the complexities of all of these issues and policy options. That methodical approach continues. We dropped end-of-life provisions from consideration entirely because of the way they could be misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly. Maybe others can defend a bill like the Pelosi bill that leaves major issues open to interpretation, but I can't."
White House makes its case
The White House asserted again today that the screaming at health care town halls all over cable TV is not representative of what's happening across the country.
To buttress that point, the Democratic National Committee sent out a list of reports in local newspapers about less heated events.
"Outside the echo chamber of 24-hour cable news, Americans all across the country are attending town halls, holding coffee shop conversations and engaging in respectful, honest debates about the best way to achieve health insurance reform. As the president continues to forge ahead, making historic progress in his effort to reform America’s broken health insurance system, please see below for coverage of the conversations you haven’t been hearing," the DNC said.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said today there are more reasoned discussions on health care going on in the town halls.
"I think people are getting the feedback that they're having very good conversations about what's in the legislation -- what people would like to see, what options they want to have, why they think it's important," he said.
"I said this yesterday, I'll say this again: while I appreciate that you all have decided that every town hall meeting ends in pushing, shoving and yelling...they're not completely indicative of what's going on in America."
Still, the administration will continue trying to rebut attacks on Obama's proposals, he said.
"I think he believes very strongly, as we talked about yesterday, that it is important to address misconceptions or misimpressions that have been left out there about the bills. I do believe that the president feels strongly that when he makes his case, it helps the case for overall health care reform," Gibbs told reporters during his daily briefing.
"So he felt very satisfied with what happened in New Hampshire. He was able to address concerns that people had."
Meanwhile, White House senior adviser David Axelrod sent an e-mail to Obama supporters listing eight reasons why an overhaul of the health care system is essential and listing what he called eight “common myths” about the overhaul effort. The e-mail asks supporters to forward the message to someone who “has a question about reform.”
“Let’s start a chain e-mail of our own” to counter “the viral e-mails that fly unchecked and under the radar,” Axelrod wrote.
Republicans strike back on health care
President Obama is on the campaign trail for his health care plan, trying to fend off what he calls "wild" accusations and rumors.
But Republicans are trying to turn the tables.
The Republican Naitonal Committee has launched a new website that includes material accusing Obama and Democrats of making inflated claims that under the overhaul anyone can keep their doctor or coverage if they want, and that middle-class Americans won't see higher taxes under the proposals.
"There is no place for outlandish rumor or outrageous rhetoric in the debate for the affordable and accessible health care reform we all want," RNC Chairman Michael Steele wrote supporters today in a fund-raising email.
"The Republicans want an honest and open debate about how to reform health care, but it is the Democrats who do not want to have a legitimate discussion on the issues. Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and their liberal special interest cronies are resorting to calling concerned citizens who have questions about their health care schemes 'astroturf,' 'un-American,' and even 'political terrorists.' "
The RNC also has a web video that asserts that health care is Obama's latest experiment, after the economic stimulus package, and America can't take the risk. "Now we face his most dangerous experiment of all -- government takeover of health care," the announcer says.
Meanwhile, 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is fighting back against Democrats (and independent fact-checkers) who have assailed her claims that the healthcare bills call for "death panels" that would decide end-of-life care. The bills do offer end-of-life counseling that is voluntary.
"Yesterday President Obama responded to my statement that Democratic health care proposals would lead to rationed care; that the sick, the elderly, and the disabled would suffer the most under such rationing; and that under such a system these ‘unproductive’ members of society could face the prospect of government bureaucrats determining whether they deserve health care,” she wrote on her Facebook page Wednesday night.
"With all due respect, it’s misleading for the president to describe this section as an entirely voluntary provision that simply increases the information offered to Medicare recipients.”
Major new ad for health care overhaul
A powerful, deep-pocketed new coalition is launching a $12 million TV ad campaign today in support of a health care overhaul.
Calling themselves Americans for Stable Quality Care, the group includes three vested interests in the debate: PhRMA, the drug companies' lobby; the American Medical Association, the big doctors' group; and the Federation of American Hospitals. It also includes two groups supportive of President Obama, FamiliesUSA and the Service Employees International Union.
Notably, the coalition does not include the insurance industry, which has been increasingly cast by Obama and Democrats as the bad guy in the debate.
"What does health insurance reform mean for you?” asks the ad’s narrator. “It means you can’t be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition, or dropped if you get sick. It means putting health-care decisions in the hands of you and your doctor. It means lower costs, a cap on out-of-pocket expenses, tough new rules to cut waste and red tape, and a focus on preventing illness before it strikes. So what does health insurance reform really mean? Quality, affordable care you can count on."
Stalemate on healthcare, poll suggests
The battle for public opinion on a healthcare overhaul appears to be at a stalemate.
A new Gallup Poll released today found that support for President Obama's handling of the issue has stayed status quo over the past three weeks -- as conservative activists have swarmed congressional town halls to register their opposition and as the White House has stepped up its sales pitch.
In a poll conducted Aug. 6-9, 49 percent of Americans said they disapproved of the president's handling of healthcare and 43 percent approved -- compared to 50 percent disapproval and 44 percent approval in a survey done July 17-19.
Obama's marks on healthcare are the lowest of four issues, with the others being education, foreign affairs, and the economy. And his approval ratings on issues are lower than his overall job approval rating of 54 percent.
The president held a town hall in Portsmouth, N.H., on Tuesday to hit back at his critics and try to clarify what his healthcare proposals don't include. He has two more scheduled this week, in Bozeman, Mont., and Grand Junction, Colo.
The new survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
UPDATE: A USA Today/Gallup Poll released later today about the protests found that 57 percent of Americans believe genuine concerns were behind them, while 48 percent said organizing by activists was also a factor.
While 51 percent said angry attacks represented "democracy in action," 59 percent said shouting down others attending the town halls was an "abuse of democracy."
All the shouting is having limited impact. Thirty-six percent of respondents said the protests haven't made any difference in how they view the healthcare debate, while 34 percent said they were more sympathetic toward the protesters' views and 21 percent were less sympathetic.
The poll, conducted Tuesday, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
A sedate town hall raises questions
Why wasn't President Obama's town hall on healthcare in New Hampshire Tuesday as much of a shouting match as some held by members of Congress?
At one point, Obama, himself, sought out a question from someone skeptical or suspicious of his plans, with limited success. Critics have suggested that the audience was, if not hand-picked, heavily stacked in the president's favor, even though anyone could sign up for the free tickets through the White House website and it says the winners were picked randomly by computer.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs gave his own explanation today -- a combination of a skewed picture of how raucous the congressional town halls have actually been, plus respect for the presidency.
"I doubt we're seeing a representative sample of any series of town hall meetings despite the food fight on cable every day," Gibbs said at his daily briefing .
"People want to take the opportunity to find out from the president -- to have him answer their questions about why he's doing what he's doing and the concerns they may have on the legislation," he added. "I think most people took that opportunity as something that was positive.
"I think some of you were disappointed yesterday that the president didn't get yelled at," Gibbs told reporters, chiding them for paying too much attention to the back-and-forth between protestors outside.
"The president wanted to have -- what I think what happened -- which was a rational discussion about health care reform legislation. I think that's what ensued. Did everybody agree? I think the answer to that is obviously no."
UPDATE: Meanwhile, conservative activists are questioning how an 11-year-old girl from Malden was called on by Obama to ask a question -- and noting the political activities of the girl's mother. Read about it on our sister blog.
Asked what the biggest obstacle was to passing a healthcare overhaul bill, Gibbs replied, "The people that want to keep the status quo. The people that believe that somehow what we have is working for the millions of Americans who are watching their healthcare premiums skyrocket every day, who are watching small businesses drop their coverage, who are part of the 12.5 million people over the past three years that have been told by an insurance company in seeking to buy insurance on a private market that they're not eligible because of what somebody has decided there's a pre-existing condition.
"I think that would be what the president would believe is the greatest obstacle and has been for 40 years, are people that -- that have a vested, in some senses monetary interest, in keeping things as they are."
Speaking of which, a new TV ad funded by the US Chamber of Commerce launched today. The business lobby opposes a proposal favored by some congressional Democrats to generate money to cover the uninsured by taxing the most generous employer-provided health benefits.
The spot shows an expanding red balloon as the announcer says, "Inflated taxes, swelling deficits, and expanded government control over your health."
The balloon bursts. "Tell Congress: 'Let’s slow down and reform healthcare the right way,' " the announcer says.
Both sides clamor to be heard at N.H. town hall
By Nandini Jayakrishna, Globe correspondent
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- President Obama's town hall on healthcare today -- his first since shouting matches and heckling met lawmakers trying to talk to their constituents -- was civil and sedate in comparison.
But activists on both sides sparred outside Portsmouth High School, some using bullhorns to get heard.
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The hundreds of people were herded by police to either the pro-overhaul side or the anti-reform side. One overhaul supporter yelled, “You’re on the wrong side, you’re confused!”
But Greg Meyer, 39, of Hampton Falls, N.H., did not want to choose a side. He said if he could, he would stand in the middle of the street between the two sparring groups.
"If we did not believe in that separation, maybe we'd find a way to work together," Meyer said. "I'm on the side of the dialogue."
Supporting the proposals from Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress were AFL-CIO members, Planned Parenthood representatives, and others, dancing to the beat of African drummers.
“I am here because fairness and equality dictate it, we need the public option for health insurance, there should be no restrictions for pre-existing conditions," said Stuart Russell, 66, of Concord, N.H., wearing a sticker that said “I am a healthcare voter.”
Terry Lochhead, 62, of Canterbury, N.H., representing the New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans, also said that she supports a public insurance option that Obama is pushing and said that prescription drug prices are too high for the elderly. “It’s ridiculous, people can’t get discounts,” she said.
Mark Mackenzie, president of the AFL-CIO's New Hampshire branch, said the price of healthcare is going through the roof. "We need to begin the process of reining in costs that are out of control.”
He said there is a lot of hype and misinformation in the public and the myths about the Democratic proposals need to be debunked. "If it were a program that would destroy healthcare for people in this country, we wouldn’t stand here," he said.
On the other side of the street from the school, Republicans and other opponents played music including "Proud to be an American."
One opponent, William Kostric, who said he was in his 30s and from Manchester, had a handgun strapped to his leg. Kostric -- who was holding up a sign declaring, "It is time to water the tree of liberty," a slogan popular with anti-government activists -- said he was licensed to carry a gun.
"It’s a political statement,” Kostric said, adding "If you don’t use your rights, then you lose your rights.”
Police asked him to move away from school property, where guns are not allowed, but he was not arrested. He moved to church property a short distance from the school.
Portsmouth police spokesman Lt. Frank Warchol said that as long as a weapon is not concealed and is not carried on the school property, a person is not breaking state law.
"We can't do anything about it," he said. "Obviously he's on our radar screen at this time."
UPDATE: Kostric was interviewed later this afternoon on MSNBC, where under questioning from "Hardball" host Chris Matthews he defended his right to bring a weapon to the event.
Asked about the history of presidential assassinations, Kostric said he was not threatening violence by bringing a gun to a presidential event.
David Call, 60, of Scandish, Maine, said that the healthcare system does not need to be overhauled and that Obama is pushing his proposals too fast.
“If it took the president six months to pick a dog, shouldn’t he spend six months on healthcare?" Call asked. "Slow down, what’s the rush?”
Call also reacted against the top two House Democrats asserting in an opinion piece published Monday that it was "un-American" to disrupt the town hall meetings. “We’re not un-American because we speak up against our government," he said.
Laurie A. Turner, 44, of Manchester, N.H., a history teacher, also said she opposes the reform plans. “It’s gonna take a lot of power out of the hands of the people,” she said.
Hal Posselt, 62, of Concord, N.H., for one, is hoping for real dialogue instead of shouting between the two sides.
"I’m so tired of hearing all the noise out there -- too much noise, not enough thinking and reasoning,” he said. The various plans need to be explained to the public better, he said.
UPDATE: After the event, Lisa Gravel, 39, of Manchester, N.H., a foe of Obama's healthcare overhaul plans, said she was disappointed she could not get into the meeting.
“Everyone coming out of there was clearly an Obama supporter,” she said, holding a sign that read ‘Stop Trashing Our Constitution.’ “He’s not having a healthy debate. He really doesn’t want to hear what I have to say or what any of the people on this side of the street have to say. I find that dishonest.”
As he came out of the gym, Bruce Gottlieb , 56, said he favored the overhaul and and thought the president made a strong case for it, but added that he would have liked Obama to delve into specifics about the program he envisions.
"It was too general,” said the West Hartford, Conn. native. “I’m leaving a little disappointed.”
In N.H., Obama promotes help for insured
President Obama told a civil, restrained town hall meeting this afternoon in Portsmouth, N.H., that his healthcare overhaul will be good for Americans who already have insurance as well as those who don't.
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With polls showing deep skepticism about some of Obama's proposals, he talked in opening remarks about how the plan would prevent insurers from denying coverage for preexisting medical conditions, from dropping coverage when someone gets seriously ill, and from charging exorbitant out-of-pocket costs.
Americans are being "held hostage" by insurers, he told about 1,800 people at Portsmouth High's gym, framed by a huge American flag behind the stage.
"I believe it is wrong," he added, and it is bankrupting families and businesses.
"Your health insurance should be there for you when it counts -- not just when you're paying premiums," he declared, adding that it will be once the health overhaul passes. "Nobody in America should go broke because they get sick."
"This is what reform is about" -- not all the chatter and shouting, the president added.
The long vigorous debate is part of democracy, he said. But, he said, "I hope we talk with each other and not over each other," adding "where we disagree, let's disagree over what's real," not falsehoods and rumors.
Greeted by a cheering crowd, he said it was great to be back in New Hampshire -- though he joked that most of his memories of the state "were cold."
He was introduced by a "real person" embodying the preexisting condition message of the day -- Lori Hitchcock, a 52-year-old, single, self-employed Portsmouth resident who was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2003. Because no insurance company will sell health coverage to her because of her pre-existing condition, she has been uninsured for two years, the White House said.
Obama said her story is the same one he reads in letters every day.
Obama reprised his argument that the stimulus package and other steps are lifting the country out of recession and "the jobs picture is beginning to turn," but that healthcare reform is one of the pillars needed to "lay a new foundation for economic growth."
He also repeated his debunking of "myths," saying that Americans won't have to give up their insurance if they like it and that he isn't for a government takeover of the healthcare system.
"I don't think government bureaucrats should be meddling, but I also believe that health insurance bureaucrats shouldn't be meddling," he said to applause.
No one, he asserted, is holding insurers accountable for unfair practices. So while an estimated 46 million uninsured Americans need help, it's just as important to achieve reform for those with insurance, he said.
He said that health reform is closer than ever, but the special interests are gathering force to try to stop it.
"Now is the hard part," he said.
Asking for help knocking on doors and convincing neighbors, Obama said, "I never said change would be easy....Change is hard. And it doesn't start in Washington. It starts in places like Portsmouth."
"Yes we can," the crowd chanted, a reprise of Obama's campaign rallies.
"I remember that," Obama replied.
Asked by a state legislator whether he would pass a healthcare bill over Republican objections if necessary, Obama said some Republican friends on Capitol Hill are sincerely trying to find a bill that they can support, naming Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, among others.
But given Americans' plight and the healthcare's impact on the federal budget deficit, he said, "We have to get it done."
While he hopes for a bipartisan bill, "the most important thing is getting it done for the American people," the president said.
He used humor to dispute claims by 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and others that "death panels" will decide end-of-life care that will basically "pull the plug on Grandma." The truth, he said, is that there is a provision in the House bill to offer end-of-life counseling, but only for those who want it.
The first sort-of unfriendly question came from a Maine man who identified himself as a Republican and who said he was worried about a public insurance plan putting private insurers out of business.
"I think it's an excellent question, so I appreciate the opportunity to respond," the president replied, before explaining his opposition to a single-payer system like in Canada and to his support for improving the current system of employer-based coverage.
He asked for a question from someone who is "skeptical or suspicious" of his plans, saying he didn't want people to think that the crowd was full of plants.
It took until the very last query before the town hall ended after nearly an hour of questions.
A Derry, N.H., man said he had turned himself in on the portion of the White House website where people could report false emails and rumors.
Obama jumped to say that was another example of the media distorting what was happening. The reporting feature is not a way to compile an enemies list, the president said.
"Come on guys," he said. "All we're trying to do is answer questions.
The man's question was why Obama hadn't chastised Congress because there are two forms of healthcare -- one for members of Congress and one for the public.
Obama replied that without healthcare reform, the gap between the plan members of Congress get and what most Americans get will continue to be wide. But the health overhaul would give Americans an option of a plan very similar to the one that members of Congress get, he said.
"The status quo is not working for you," Obama said. (His full remarks, and the question-and-answer session is below.)
The town hall was Obama's first since the raucous spectacles during events that members of Congress have been having -- including one that Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is hosting this morning, where one man has already been escorted out and there has been shouting and heckling.
The Democratic National Committee is backing up Obama's slightly retooled message with a new national cable TV ad. Showing images of happy families, the announcer says, "Your family's care comes first....There's something in it for all of us."
Organizing for America, Obama's grassroots group from the campaign, also echoed his message, releasing a web video this afternoon entitled "Coverage Denied."
In the video, Kristen Palmer of Minneapolis, who was featured in a previous video by the group, tells of how she has been denied health insurance coverage due to a pre-existing medical condition -- polycystic kidneys, a genetic disease she shares with her father -- despite the fact that she is healthy and currently suffers no consequences as a result of her medical history.
The White House release on the town hall is below:
FULL ENTRYProtests planned for Obama N.H. visit
President Obama's town hall meeting on healthcare on Tuesday in Portsmouth, N.H., will almost certainly be far less of a free-for-all than the raucous ones that members of Congress have been having, filled with shouting matches, pushing and shoving, and even some arrests.
It is the president's first public healthcare event since the protests at town halls became big news -- and it is happening in the birthplace of the American ideal of town meetings and small-d democracy. (The White House this evening confirmed the start time as 1 p.m. EDT)
As usual for such events, the White House controlled the distribution of the free tickets to get into the gym at Portsmouth High School. And, per usual, the Secret Service will take care of any unruliness.
But that won't stop protestors outside the event.
According to an invitation obtained by NBC News, a group called the New Hampshire Republican Volunteer Coalition is urging members to make sure the other side gets heard and noticed by the media.
"Barack Hussein Obama will be arriving in Portsmouth on Tuesday to hold a STAGED "Town Hall Meeting", where he will essentially hand pick who the guests will be and what types of questions will be asked of him," the call to arms reads. "A MASSIVE protest rally is being organized just outside of the facility where Obama will be holding his 'Town Hall Meeting' to promote his plan for a government takeover of your healthcare decisions."
"There will be news media from all over the world at this event and it will be the ideal opportunity for us to tell the rest of the country exactly how NH voters feel about Obamacare (taxed/rationed healthcare). It will be the most important pro-liberty event of the year in NH and it is critically important that every one of us attend," the invitation continues. "If you can, bring a sign that says something like, 'OBAMACARE=TAXED/RATIONED HEALTHCARE', etc."
Supporters of the Democratic healthcare bills also plan to show their strength outside the town hall.
The AFL-CIO said today that New Hampshire workers "will respectfully make the case for major health care reform and speak out against the ‘mob rule’ tactics of the opposition."
“New Hampshire workers desperately need major health care reform and we will not let our voices be silenced by the corporate funded mobs on the other side,” state AFL-CIO President Mark MacKenzie said in a statement.
Asked about the current discourse at a joint news conference this afternoon at the summit with the leaders of Canada and Mexico, Obama said, "We are having a vigorous debate in the United States, and I think that's a healthy thing."
He repeated that healthcare overhaul is closer than at any time in 40 years and addressing whether there were parts of the more government-heavy Canadian health plan to emulate, said the US must come up with an uniquely American solution.
Opponents, the president said, seem to want to talk about Canadian healthcare.
"I suspect that you Canadians will continue to get dragged in by those who oppose reform, even though I've said nothing about Canadian healthcare reform. I don't find Canadians particularly scary, but I guess some of the opponents of reform think that they make a good bogeyman.
"I think that's a mistake. And I suspect that once we get into the fall and people look at the actual legislation that's being proposed, that more sensible and reasoned arguments will emerge. And we're going to get -- we're going to get this passed."
Speaking of the contentious town halls, Democrats have been complaining that the conservative activists and their Republican allies have been hijacking them.
In an opinion piece in today's USA Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her wingman Representative Steny Hoyer went further, calling the disruptions downright un-American.
"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," they wrote. "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."
Republicans strongly dispute that, arguing that opponents are only venting their frustrations and objections to the Democratic bills.
UPDATE: Asked about the town hall, White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton said today that there will be about 1,800 people in the audience, including members of the general public and those who received tickets through members of Congress.
"New Hampshire is a place where people are really feeling the pinch of healthcare reform, and it's a place where he can talk specifically about getting real consumer protections in place, like making sure people can get covered if they have a preexisting condition," Burton said.
"We expect that there will be a vigorous debate, as there have been at plenty of town halls that President Obama has had as president and as candidate, and we look forward to it," Burton told reporters on Air Force One this afternoon.
Asked about Pelosi and Hoyer calling some of the protests "un-American," Burton said, "Well, I think there's actually a pretty long tradition of people shouting at politicians in America. The president thinks that if people want to come and have a spirited debate about health care, a real vigorous conversation about it, that's a part of the American tradition and he encourages that, because people do have questions and concerns."
"Now, if you just want to come to a town hall so that you can disrupt and so that you can scream over another person, he doesn’t think that that's productive," Burton added. "And as a country, we've been able to make progress when people actually talk out what our problems are, not try to shout each other down. So he thinks that we're going to be able to have a constructive conversation tomorrow and he'll continue to do that at the town hall later in the week and throughout this effort."
"There's obviously a lot of passion on one side of this, and that's why people are showing up and screaming. And again he doesn't think that that's constructive. But, you know, there's passion on the other side, too -- the people who want health care reform and who think that it's wrong that health insurance companies can stop you from getting coverage just because you have a preexisting condition, or drop you from coverage just because you get sick," Burton said.
"There's obviously been some orchestration of some of the folks who go out there, but I don't think that that is as important as the fact that, A, there are people who do have legitimate concerns and questions about health care reform and the President wants to have an opportunity to answer those folks and wants members of Congress to have the opportunity to answer those questions, as well. And that's why it's important that when people go to town hall meetings, if you want to have a tussle over an issue, that's fine; but screaming so that you can't hear the answer to whatever the complaint isn't moving the ball forward for anybody."
Palin: Obama health plan 'evil,' but town halls shoud be civil
Sarah Palin, getting in her two cents on the healthcare overhaul debate, has been of two minds lately.
The former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee turned up the volume late last Friday with a posting on her Facebook page that suggested that President Obama's plan would lead to a "death panel" that would ration care.
"And who will suffer the most when they ration care?" she wrote. "The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil."
That claim was immediately and loudly disputed by Democrats. (A fact-checking website, Politifact.com, also disputes Palin's characterization.)
"She just made that up,” Howard Dean, the former Democratic National Committee chairman and Vermont governor who is a doctor, said Sunday on CNN. “Just like the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ that she supposedly didn't support.
“There's nothing like euthanasia in the bill," he added. "I practiced medicine for a long time, and of course you have to have end of life discussions — the patients want that.”
Later Sunday, Palin posted another comment on her Facebook page, urging opponents of Obama's healthcare proposals to be civil at the town hall meetings that members of Congress are having, lest their message be lost in the controversy.
"There are many disturbing details in the current bill that Washington is trying to rush through Congress, but we must stick to a discussion of the issues and not get sidetracked by tactics that can be accused of leading to intimidation or harassment," Palin wrote. "Such tactics diminish our nation’s civil discourse which we need now more than ever because the fine print in this outrageous health care proposal must be understood clearly and not get lost in conscientious voters’ passion to want to make elected officials hear what we are saying. Let’s not give the proponents of nationalized health care any reason to criticize us."
Health reform advocates fight back
President Obama's allies are ramping up their efforts for healthcare overhaul as the battle moves full bore back into local congressional districts and out of Washington.
Opponents of the healthcare bills being pushed by congressional Democrats have been raging at town hall meetings held by members of Congress, protests organized in part by conservative and business groups and cheered on by Republicans.
So Obama's grassroots group from the campaign, Organizing for America, sent an email out to the millions on its list, urging supporters to visit their members of Congress in their offices. The email names each supporter's representative and offers help on the message.
"All throughout August, our members of Congress are back in town. Insurance companies and partisan attack groups are stirring up fear with false rumors about the President's plan, and it's extremely important that folks like you speak up now," writes Mitch Stewart, director of the group.
"So we've cooked up an easy, powerful way for you to make a big impression: Office Visits for Health Reform. All this week, OFA members like you will be stopping by local congressional offices to show our support for insurance reform. You can have a quick conversation with the local staff, tell your personal story, or even just drop off a customized flyer and say that reform matters to you."
Community activists, organized by Massachusetts Communities Action Network, also plan to go Tuesday to home offices of six members of Congress: Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry, and Representatives Michael Capuano, Barney Frank, Stephen Lynch and Jim McGovern.
Even though Massachusetts has its own landmark healthcare law that has extended coverage to 97 percent of residents, the network says a national healthcare overhaul could still help the Bay State by providing federal assistance to allow the state to cover more moderate-income families, by improving Medicare for seniors, and by helping subsidize coverage for 30,000 legal immigrants.
Meanwhile, faith groups backing a health overhaul that provides universal care are launching a 40-day lobbying campaign.
The effort by People of Faith for Health Reform includes a new national cable TV ad in which several clergy talk about special interests fighting reform. "But God has given us a spirit not of fear, but of love and action," says the Rev. Stevie Wakes of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kan.
"Millions of people of faith are supporting health insurance reform," adds the Rev. John Hay of Indianapolis. "Members of Congress: Will you?"
The campaign also includes prayer events in local districts, sermons on healthcare Aug. 28-30, and events in Washington in September as Congress resumes work after its August recess.
UPDATE: The White House, itself, officially launched a "reality check" website that features videos of top administration officials debunking "myths" about Obama's proposals. They include the claims from opponents about healthcare overhaul forcing the rationing of care, euthanasia of the critically ill, cuts in care for veterans, burdens on small businesses, and cuts in Medicare benefits.
Obama rallies support on healthcare
In his weekly Internet and radio address, President Obama uses the hopeful jobs numbers to make his case again for a healthcare overhaul.
He says the July unemployment rate of 9.4 percent, the first decline in 15 months, shows "that we’ve begun to put the brakes on this recession and that the worst may be behind us."
"But we must do more than rescue our economy from this immediate crisis; we must rebuild it stronger than before. We must lay a new foundation for future growth and prosperity, and a key pillar of a new foundation is health insurance reform – reform that we are now closer to achieving than ever before," Obama declares.
While Congress did not meet his original timetable of both the House and Senate passing bills before leaving for the August recess, Obama puts the best face on the progress so far. "Four committees in Congress have produced legislation – an unprecedented level of agreement on a difficult and complex challenge," he says.
And with opponents of the healthcare overhaul taking over town hall events that members of Congress are holding in their districts, Obama takes on his critics, saying that they are misleading Americans.
"That is why it is important, especially now, as senators and representatives head home and meet with their constituents, for you, the American people, to have all the facts," Obama says.
"So, let me explain what reform will mean for you. And let me start by dispelling the outlandish claims that reform will promote euthanasia, cut Medicaid, or bring about a government takeover of health care. That’s simply not true. This isn’t about putting government in charge of your health insurance; it’s about putting you in charge of your health insurance. Under the reforms we seek, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep your healthcare plan. And while reform is obviously essential for the 46 million Americans who don’t have health insurance, it will also provide more stability and security to the hundreds of millions who do."
Obama's address can be viewed here, and the prepared remarks are below:
Labor weighs in on healthcare
One of President Obama's biggest allies -- Big Labor -- is coming to his aid on healthcare.
The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest union federation, announced today that it will mount an intensive 30-day grassroots effort to back a sweeping healthcare overhaul, timed during the recess when members of Congress will be home listening to their constituents.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, in a call-to-arms memo to union leaders, put the choice starkly: "The question for us is: will we let them make health care 'Obama's Waterloo' or will we make it the next big step in our march to Turn Around America?"
Sweeney said unions must fight for healthcare legislation that helps working people, not insurance companies. (His full memo is below.)
The AFL-CIO also put out a statement assailing the tactics of conservative groups, which are sending activists to congressional town hall meetings to criticize members of Congress.
"Every American has the inalienable right to participate in our democratic process. Our politics is passionate, heartfelt and often loud -- as was the founding of our nation. But that is not what the corporate-funded mobs are engaging in when they show up to disrupt town halls held by members of Congress," said the federation's secretary-treasurer, Richard Trumka.
"Major health care reform is closer than ever to passage and it is no secret that special interests want to weaken or block it. These mobs are not there to participate. As their own strategy memo states, they have been sent by their corporate and lobbyist bankrollers to disrupt, heckle and block meaningful debate. This is a desperation move, meant to slow the momentum for change," the statement continues.
"Mob rule is not democracy. People have a democratic right to express themselves and our elected leaders have a right to hear from their constituents -- not organized thugs whose sole purpose is to shut down the conversation and attempt to scare our leaders into inaction. We call on the insurance companies, the lobbyists and the Republican leaders who are cheering them on to halt these ‘Brooks Brothers Riot’ tactics. Health care is a crucial issue and everyone - on all sides of the issue - deserves to be heard."
UPDATE: The Service Employees International Union is urging attendees at townhall meetings to sign a pledge not be disruptive and to listen to those with whom they disagree.
“At the same time that America’s families are seeking relief from fast-rising and unaffordable health care costs, extreme radicals and corporate front groups are trying to derail health insurance reform by disrupting public meetings. While SEIU and allies across the country are staging more than 400 events to promote a real discussion on the country’s need for healthcare reform, these ‘Astroturf’ organizations, are spreading ludicrous, discredited myths designed to scare people away from much-needed reform," SEIU Healthcare Chairman Dennis Rivera said in a statement this afternoon.
“America’s families want a serious and civil discourse about health insurance reform. They want to know how health insurance reform will protect them and their loved ones.
“We, therefore, challenge everyone attending public meetings about health insurance reform to sign a pledge that they are prepared to engage in a civil dialogue so that the American people can better understand how reform, and the absence of such reform, will affect their lives.
“We are convinced that such a serious and civil discourse – tied to facts, not myths – will substantially increase the public’s support for reform."
Obama huddles on healthcare with key senators
With time running out before the Senate starts its August recess, President Obama turns his focus back to healthcare today.
He huddled with the so-called Gang of Six -- the bipartisan group of Senate Finance Committee members trying to make a deal on a healthcare overhaul bill.
UPDATE: White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that Obama urged the senators to keep seeking a compromise.
"The president invited the group to come to the White House today to provide an update and a status report of sorts on their negotiations amongst themselves and the committee. The president's message to them is to continue to work and find consensus on an issue that we know they've been working hard on, and is very important to the American people," Gibbs told reporters at his daily briefing.
"The president wants them to continue to work and make progress, and wanted to hear directly from them on where they were. It wasn't a negotiating session."
Finance Chairman Max Baucus has set a Sept. 15 deadline for the negotiators to strike a bargain. The Washington Post reports this morning that an emerging bill would come in at about $900 billion over the next decade and eventually cover 94 percent of Americans.
But it would not include the government insurance option that Obama and House Democrats support and, for the first time, tax healthcare benefits provided by employers under the most generous plans -- an idea Obama so far has shunned.
Obama is also hoping for a bipartisan deal, but if one isn't reached Democrats could use a parliamentary maneuver to move ahead without GOP support in the Senate.
"I am glad that in the Senate Finance Committee there have been a couple of Republicans … who've been willing to negotiate with Democrats to try to produce a bill," Obama told NBC News on Wednesday. "But they haven't yet. And I think at some point, some time in September, we're just going to have to make an assessment."
"I would prefer Republicans working with us on that, because I think it's in the interest of everybody. It shouldn't be a partisan issue," he added in the interview. "The bottom line is the American people, the American economy, and the federal budget, have to have some sort of reforms in the health-care system. And failure is not an option this year."
Three House committees led by Democrats passed healthcare bills before starting their recess last Friday, but Democrats are being hammered in town hall meetings in their districts, shouted down by conservative activists and others.
Democrats have hit back, saying Republicans are inciting "mob rule."
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is trying to reelect next year those representatives who are being hassled, formally announced today the launch of a new truth-squadding website dedicated, it said, "to exposing the truth-twisting attack by Republicans and their fringe right-wing groups on health insurance reform."
“Republicans are trying to poison the debate on health insurance reform with lies, misleading ads, and scare tactics so we’re launching healthcarefactcheck.com to set the record straight and empower our supporters to fight back with the truth,” Jon Vogel, the committee's executive director, said in a statement. “This website is just another way that we are holding Republicans and their fringe groups accountable for trying anything and everything to protect the profitable status quo for big health insurance companies at the expense of affordable health care for families.”
But the GOP shows no signs of backing down.
Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele sent a "Dear Friend" fund-raising solicitation overnight, telling supporters that "Obama Democrats" are trying to demonize them as "right-wing extremists.
"We saw this sort of vitriolic rhetoric this past April when Democrats smugly dismissed grassroots protests against their out-of-control spending. These Tea Parties were ruthlessly mocked by the liberal elites and the mainstream media," Steele wrote.
"Now as public support for the Obama Democrats' government-run health care plan unravels, they're using this fear-and-smear tactic to silence ANY American who disagrees with their risky scheme to nationalize one-fifth of our economy and limit your health care choices. It's a page out of their standard playbook of name calling and outright lies to stifle all debate."
Democrats slam 'mob rule;' Republicans call it democracy
The Democratic National Committee today launched a web ad slamming the GOP and allied conservative groups for sending activists to healthcare town halls where they are shouting questions and criticisms.
"The right wing extremist Republican base is back," the announcer intones, over scenes of disruptions at gatherings starting over the weekend as the battle over healthcare moves out of Congress and into home districts.
After losing congressional battles on the budget and after eight years of failed economic policies during the Bush administration, the narrator says, desperate Republicans are organizing "angry mobs."
"Their goal: Destroy President Obama and stop the change that Americans voted for overwhelmingly in November," the announcer says. "They have no plans for moving the country forward so they've called out the mob."
Michael Steele, a spokesman for House GOP leader John Boehner, responded to the ad:
"Out-of-touch Washington Democrats would love to blame their problems on Republicans, but they can't. Their problem in Washington is Democrats fighting against Democrats. Their problem across the country is Democrats fighting against the American people, by backing job-killing tax hikes and regulations in the middle of the deepest recession in decades."
UPDATE: The Republican National Committee also responded, sending out a list of polling results showing doubts about the Democrats' healthcare plans, and asserting that what Democrats call "mob rule" is merely small-d democracy.
"Today the White House and Democrats continue their callous and arrogant campaign to reduce the concerns and opinions of millions of Americans as 'manufactured' -- and have labeled them as 'angry mobs' and 'rabid extremists,' for voicing their opposition to President Obama’s government-run health care experiment," the RNC said.
"This 'mob' the Democrats are referring to include millions of American families, small business owners, doctors, veterans, seniors – and even House and Senate Democrats – who have real concerns over the president’s risky and costly government-run health care experiment. And they should be concerned – as this costly experiment will raise taxes without decreasing costs, increase the deficit, will lead to less choice and lower-quality health coverage.
"Before heading into recess, the Democrats should have read the dozens of public opinion polls showing that a majority of Americans believe President Obama’s government-run health care experiment is a bad idea. It’s no secret that Democrats aren’t even on board. Chaos in Washington has reigned over health care in the last several weeks. Are Democrats so out of touch that they are shocked to find concern among their constituents over their $1.6 trillion government-run health care experiment? Or are the Democrats once again waging a campaign of distraction to shift the focus away from their widely unpopular, big government policy?
"The bottom line? Americans, including Independents and some Democrats, do not like President Obama’s government-run health care experiment – and they are going to show up to say so. It’s called democracy."
Recent polls show that Americans are divided about the healthcare plans proposed by Obama and congressional Democrats. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released this morning found 50 percent backing Obama's plan, but 45 percent opposed.
While 30 percent said Obama's proposals would help them and 40 percent said it would help other families, 20 percent said the proposals would not help anyone.
In the survey, 71 percent said they were very likely or somewhat likely to attend a town hall even on healthcare hosted by their member of Congress.
As part of the counter-offensive, Obama's grassroots groups is organizing its own healthcare events and getting its members to the town halls.
"This is the moment our movement was built for," the president, himself, told Organizing for America supporters in an email this afternoon.
"For one month, the fight for health insurance reform leaves the backrooms of Washington, D.C., and returns to communities across America. Throughout August, members of Congress are back home, where the hands they shake and the voices they hear will not belong to lobbyists, but to people like you.
"Home is where we're strongest. We didn't win last year's election together at a committee hearing in D.C. We won it on the doorsteps and the phone lines, at the softball games and the town meetings, and in every part of this great country where people gather to talk about what matters most. And if you're willing to step up once again, that's exactly where we're going to win this historic campaign for the guaranteed, affordable health insurance that every American deserves.
"There are those who profit from the status quo, or see this debate as a political game, and they will stop at nothing to block reform. They are filling the airwaves and the internet with outrageous falsehoods to scare people into opposing change. And some people, not surprisingly, are getting pretty nervous. So we've got to get out there, fight lies with truth, and set the record straight."
Democrats deride 'astroturf' efforts by healthcare foes
Democrats are striking back at conservative groups that are taking the credit for helping opponents show up at healthcare meetings around the country.
Town halls with constituents hosted over the weekend by Representative Lloyd Doggett in Texas and by Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania were disrupted by opponents of the healthcare overhaul plans promoted by President Obama and congressional Democrats.
The Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out missives today arguing that groups such as Conservatives for Patients' Rights and FreedomWorks and are creating fake grassroots enthusiasm -- "astroturf" in political circles -- by stacking meetings with outside activists.
"The Republicans and their allied groups - desperate after losing two consecutive elections and every major policy fight on Capitol Hill - are inciting angry mobs of a small number of rabid right wing extremists funded by K Street lobbyists to disrupt thoughtful discussions about the future of health care in America taking place in congressional districts across the country," DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse said in a statement this afternoon.
"However, much like we saw at the McCain-Palin rallies last year where crowds were baited with cries of 'socialist,' 'communist,' and where the birthers movement was born – these mobs of extremists are not interested in having a thoughtful discussion about the issues – but like some Republican leaders have said - they are interested in ‘breaking’ the president and destroying his presidency," Woodhouse added.
"These mobs are bussed in by well funded, highly organized groups run by Republican operatives and funded by the special interests who are desperately trying to stop the agenda for change the President was elected to bring to Washington. Despite the headline grabbing nature of these angry mobs and their disruptions of events, they are not reflective of where the American people are on the issues – or the hundreds of thousands of thoughtful discussions taking place around kitchen tables, water coolers and in homes. The right wing extremists’ use of things like devil horns on pictures of our elected officials, hanging members of Congress in effigy, breathlessly questioning the President's citizenship and the use of Nazi SS symbols and the like just shows how outside of the mainstream the Republican Party and their allies are. This type of anger and discord did not serve Republicans well in 2008 – and it is bound to backfire again."
The town hall episodes were discussed at a White House lunch today among Obama and Senate Democrats, said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
He said Obama won several standing ovations and gave a coach-like pep talk that revved up the rank-and-file.
"We're ready to take on the world," Reid told reporters.
Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who is shepherding healthcare legislation in the absence of Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, said that while senators want a bipartisan deal, time is of the essence.
During the monthlong recess that starts Friday, 500,000 more Americans will lose their health insurance, Dodd said.
"We need to come back with a renewed sense of purpose," he said.
Obama grassroots group on the air
With House members back in their districts, President Obama's grassroots group is airing radio ads pushing key representatives on healthcare and thanking others on the economic recovery package.
Organizing for America announced that the health ad, entitled "Standing Up," will run in 19 districts. Listen to it here.
The economic ad, entitled "To the Rescue," will run in four districts, the group said. Hear it here.
"These members have been part of one of the most ambitious, historic and successful opening months of a Congressional session in our nation's history," said OFA Director Mitch Stewart. "From expanding health insurance to millions of vulnerable children, to passing a recovery act that rescued our economy from certain disaster, to passing a budget that halves our deficit over the next decade while making critical investments in health care, energy and education, these members have all helped bring about the change President Obama promised to bring to Washington. They are now standing up to the special interests, the lobbyists and the naysayers and working for big solutions to our nation's toughest problems - including fixing a broken health insurance system that costs too much, leaves too many people lacking coverage and puts insurance industry profits ahead of patient care. Thanks to the support of these members and others like them - we will reform the health insurance system in this country and make other critical policy changes to get our economy back on track."
The group is up against conservative organizations that have been finding activists to attend town halls on healthcare that members of Congress have been having with their constituents.
Web wars on healthcare
The Obama team hit back hard on what it considered lies and disinformation during the presidential campaign, going toe to toe on the Internet with its foes, including by creating its own "Fight the Smears" website.
Now that he's in the White House, the Obama media operation is doing the same to protect his healthcare push.
When a conservative blogger's claim -- backed up by video clips from the campaign trail -- that Obama planned to do away with private health insurance was given wide exposure on the popular Drudge Report website, the White House responded today with a video of its own.
"Hi. I’m Linda Douglass. I’m the communications director for the White House Office of Health Reform, and one of my jobs is to keep track of all the disinformation that’s out there about health-insurance reform. And there are a lot of very deceiving headlines out there right now, such as this one -- take a look at this one. This one says, ‘Uncovered Video: Obama Explains How His Health Care Plan Will Eliminate Private Insurance.’ Well, nothing can be farther from the truth,” the video says.
Douglass goes on to rebut the claim, showing clips and arguing that Obama's remarks were taken completely out of context.
On its blog, the White House also urged supporters to keep an eye out for misleading healthcare fodder. "Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."
Angry crowds on healthcare
Some members of Congress aren't exactly being welcomed home with open arms as they try to take the temperature of constituents on healthcare.
The New York Times reports that Representative Lloyd Doggett was shouted down by an angry crowd in Texas, who yelled, "Just Vote No."
And the Associated Press reports that Senator Arlen Specter and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius were booed and jeered at a healthcare town hall at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Democratic congressional leaders and the White House were pushing for votes in the full House and Senate before the monthlong recess, in part because they knew that opponents would mobilize. The House adjourned last Friday after three committees passed legislation, and the Senate plans to go home this Friday after a second committee passes a plan.
Obama, Senate Democrats to talk healthcare, clunkers
Following up on a retreat with Cabinet officials and others over the weekend at the six-month mark of his new administration, President Obama plans to huddle Tuesday with all 60 Senate Democrats.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the unusual gathering is meant to take stock of where legislative priorities stand -- and two are likely to be at the forefront: healthcare overhaul, since a full Senate vote has been put off until after the August recess, and the "cash for clunkers" bill.
"I don't doubt that healthcare will be discussed," Gibbs said at his daily briefing. "I believe the economy will also be heavily discussed; the numbers that we've been talking about, numbers that we'll see throughout the week, unemployment, manufacturing reports -- just in general where the economy is. I think we'll probably -- they'll go through and discuss energy legislation.
Gibbs also said that a topic will be the House-passed bill to pump $2 billion more into the unexpectedly popular program giving car buyers stipends for trading in gas guzzlers for fuel-efficient vehicles. "Without some help from the Senate, in terms of moving the $2 billion from the Recovery and Reinvestment plan's energy efficiency programs into this account, [it] will likely mean that the program will have to be stopped by the end of the week.
Asked why Republicans weren't invited, Gibbs replied, "I would look at this as the president speaking to the Democratic caucus. They have a regularly scheduled caucus lunch that happens every Tuesday. It's just we're having that lunch here at the White House rather than up on Capitol Hill. So I think that explains talking to the -- to Senate Democrats."
Democratic group targets insurer
With House members already back in their districts and senators in their last week before heading home for a month, a liberal-labor coalition pushing President Obama's healthcare overhaul is squarely on message with Democrats.
A new national cable TV ad unveiled today tries to put the focus on Big Insurance, which Democrats are increasingly targeting as they try to fend off criticism from Republicans about the overhaul's cost and complexity.
While Obama has promoted cooperation from insurers, they are opposing a public insurance option that the president and Democrats say is needed to control costs and offer consumers a choice of coverage.
"Why do the health insurance companies and Republicans want to kill President Obama’s health insurance reform?" the announcer asks in the 30-second spot. "Because they like things the way they are now."
The ad then pictures the CEO of one major insurer, as the announcer says, "Ed Hanway, CEO of insurance giant Cigna, makes $12. 2 million a year. That’s $5,883 an hour. Ed makes more in one day, than the average worker makes all year long."
"Now Ed’s retiring with a seventy three million dollar golden parachute," the announcer adds over an image of Hanway's face attached to a parachute and floating down. "The Republican prescription for the health insurance crisis – be as rich as Ed … you’ll be happy too."
UPDATE: Responding to the criticism from Democrats, namely House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Janet Trautwein, CEO of the National Association of Health Underwriters, issued a statement.
"It's unfortunate that Speaker Pelosi has resorted to petty name-calling in the debate over health care reform. We all have a stake in achieving meaningful reform that both preserves Americans' freedom to choose their doctors and lowers long-term health care costs. A public option will accomplish neither," said Trautwein, whose group says it represents more than 100,000 licensed health insurance agents, brokers, consultants and benefit professionals nationwide.
"A new government-run health plan will raise costs for Americans with private insurance. By systematically underpaying doctors and hospitals, our country's existing public plans -- Medicare and Medicaid -- raise the average family's premiums by $1,800 a year. A public option will only exacerbate this problem -- and make insurance more expensive."
Romney, Pawlenty spar on healthcare
Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney agree in their disdain for the healthcare overhaul plan Democrats and President Obama are trying to push through.
But they have been sparring in recent days over the right approach -- a preview, perhaps, of the 2012 Republican presidential sweepstakes.
The Minnesota governor and former Massachusetts governor, who were both on Senator John McCain's short list for vice president last year, both appear to be laying the groundwork for possible 2012 bids.
Pawlenty, in an opinion piece published in the Washington Post over the weekend and in a letter last week to Minnesota's congressional delegation, not surprisingly promoted his state's plan.
"In Minnesota, our state employee health-care plan has demonstrated incredible results by linking outcomes to value. State employees in Minnesota can choose any clinic available to them in the health-care network they've selected. However, individuals who use more costly and less-efficient clinics are required to pay more out-of-pocket," he wrote.
But more interestingly, he took some pointed swipes at the healthcare overhaul in Massachusetts, one of Romney's biggest accomplishments as governor, though he ran away from the parts most objectionable to conservatives during his presidential campaign.
"Massachusetts's experience should caution Congress against focusing primarily on access. While the Massachusetts plan has reduced the number of uninsured people, costs have been dramatically higher than expected. The result? Increased taxes and fees. The Boston Globe has reported on a current short-term funding gap and the need to obtain a new federal bailout," Pawlenty wrote in the Post. "Imagine the scope of tax increases, or additional deficit spending, if that approach is utilized for the entire country."
Romney, in an op-ed piece in USA Today, even as he accused Obama from rushing through a bad plan, defended the Massachusetts plan against Pawlenty's critique.
"Massachusetts also proved that you don't need government insurance. Our citizens purchase private, free-market medical insurance. There is no "public option." With more than 1,300 health insurance companies, a federal government insurance company isn't necessary. It would inevitably lead to massive taxpayer subsidies, to lobbyist-inspired coverage mandates and to the liberals' dream: a European-style single-payer system. To find common ground with skeptical Republicans and conservative Democrats, the president will have to jettison left-wing ideology for practicality and dump the public option," Romney wrote.
"When our bill passed three years ago, the legislature projected that our program would cost $725 million in 2009. At $723 million, next year's forecast is pretty much on target. When you calculate all the savings, including that from the free hospital care we eliminated, the net cost to the state is approximately $350 million. The watchdog Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation concluded that our program's cost is 'relatively modest' and 'well within initial projections.' "
GOP video warns of government deciding care
In his healthcare pitch, President Obama has been trying to explain in simple terms the benefits to patients and consumers.
But a new Republican web video, released today by House GOP leader John Boehner, tries to use some of his own words against him, raising the specter of government control of the care that people would receive.
Over the strains of the theme song from the long-running daytime soap "Young and the Restless," a pitchman circa 1970s says, "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV."
The video then shows Obama suggesting that if a blue pill is the half the price of the red pill and does the same thing, maybe patients should take the blue pill. It also shows him positing that drugs might be better than surgery.
On screen at the end is a faux prescription form headlined "Obamacare." "We aren't doctors, but we know what's best for you."
Democratic National Committee spokesman Hari Sevugan responded to Boehner's video:
"John Boehner isn't an insurance company executive, but he sure plays one in the U.S. House of Representatives. That's the only explanation for admittedly working to 'kill' health insurance reform while premiums for the average American family are rising three times faster than their wages, while small businesses are choosing between offering coverage and creating jobs, and when controlling runaway health care costs is necessary to get the economy fully back on track. John Boehner and the Republicans that would follow him may not officially be insurance agents, but in working to 'kill' reform they are proving that they are certainly agents of the status quo."
Obama stresses consumer protections in healthcare bill
President Obama takes his healthcare road show today to two Southern states that proved pivotal to his election in November.
And with healthcare overhaul bills mired in legislative muck and public support dropping, he's retooling his message to speak directly to consumers.
The president held a town hall at Broughton High School in Raleigh, N.C., then another Q&A with employees at the Kroger supermarket in Bristol, Va. Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win both states in more than a generation, contributing to his electoral landslide.
In his primetime news conference last week and in appearances since, Obama has reached out to Americans who already have insurance or Medicare, trying to reassure them that they won't be hurt by the overhaul, either by losing care or getting smacked by higher costs.
Today, in both stops, he stressed the protections for consumers that he will insist be in any overhaul bill.
"First of all, nobody is talking about some government takeover of healthcare," Obama told the crowd in Raleigh. "I'm tired of hearing that.... Under the reform I’ve proposed, if you like your doctor, you keep your doctor. If you like your healthcare plan, you keep your healthcare plan. These folks need to stop scaring everybody."
"But what a lot of the chatter out there hasn’t focused on is the fact that if you’ve got health insurance, the reform we’re proposing will also help you because it will provide more stability and security," he added. "Because the truth is, we have a system today that works well for the insurance industry, but it doesn’t always work well for you. What we need, and what we will have when we pass these reforms, are health insurance consumer protections to make sure that those who have insurance are treated fairly and insurance companies are held accountable."
(His full remarks and answers to questions are are below.)
The consumer protections include:
-- Banning insurance companies for refusing to offer coverage due to pre-existing medical conditions.
-- Capping how much insurers can charge annually for out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles, or co-pays.
-- Requiring insurers to fully cover regular check-ups and tests, including mammograms and eye and foot exams for diabetics.
-- Prohibiting insurers from dropping or reducing coverage for those who become seriously ill.
-- Banning insurers from charging people based on gender.
-- Stopping insurance companies from placing annual or lifetime caps on benefits.
-- Making sure that young adults as old as 26 can be covered under family insurance policies.
-- Requiring insurers to renew policies as long as premiums are paid in full, even if the policyholder becomes ill.
Obama, en route to Virginia, issued a statement noting the progress in Congress today.
In the Senate, key negotiators said they had pared the costs of a plan to cover 95 percent of Americans by 2015 to about $900 billion over 10 years, putting the price tag under the unofficial $1 trillion target the White House has set. In the House, the leadership, the White House, and fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats worked out a deal that will allow a bill to move forward in committee, but will delay a floor vote until September.
“I want to thank the members of both the Senate and House of Representatives for continuing their work on health reform to provide more stability and security for Americans who have insurance, and quality, affordable coverage for those who don’t," Obama said. "I’m especially grateful that so many members, including some Blue Dogs on the Energy and Commerce Committee, are working so hard to find common ground. Those efforts are extraordinarily constructive in strengthening this legislation and bringing down its cost.”
Another poll out this afternoon says that Americans are divided about Obama's healthcare plan.
In the Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey, 46 percent said they disapprove of Obama’s handling of healthcare, while 41 percent approved and 13 percent weren’t sure.
The Journal says those numbers are similar to former President Bill Clinton's of 52 percent disapproval and 40 percent approval in July 1994 before his healthcare overhaul plan crashed and burned in Congress.
UPDATE: Republicans, however, are still opposed to the Democratic bills, and House Republicans introduced a plan today that relies on tax credits to help people buy insurance and that also addresses medical malpractice reform.
The top House Republican, John Boehner of Ohio, said on CNN this afternoon that the legislation would create "a giant government bureaucracy that's going to drive up the cost of health care, drive up the cost of health insurance, deny millions of Americans their choice of doctor, and eventually lead to rationing of health care in America. This is not the kind of plan that Americans want."
"I believe that it's time to hit the reset button," Boehner added. "Let's scrap this plan. Let's sit down in a bipartisan way. And let's build on the current system, which is the envy of the world.
"You know, 93 percent of the American people have access to high quality, affordable health insurance. Let's help them be able to hold on to that, reduce the cost of it, and expand access to those Americans who don't have good access."
Obama talks healthcare to AARP
President Obama reached out this afternoon to a key constituency on his healthcare overhaul plan, seeking support from the 55-plus set.
"We've got to get a better bang for our healthcare dollar," he told a town hall hosted by the AARP.
There needs to more preventive care, and unnecessary subsidies need to be taken away from Medicare providers, the president said.
But, he pledged, "We certainly won't cut corners to cut costs. That doesn't work."
(His full remarks and answers are below.)
The town hall was Obama's latest event in an aggressive push to get a healthcare bill signed this year.
UPDATE: Representative Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House, dismissed Obama's pitch.
"I heard what the President was saying, and frankly, he hasn't said anything different today than what he said at last week's press conference," he said on CNN. "The fact is that most Americans are very concerned about what they are learning of the Obama health care reform bill. I don't think that the people of this country feel it is appropriate for us to hear the President say, you know, ‘It's my way or the highway.’ There are plenty of other approaches and I think we can gain a comfort level if we take the time to get it right and not say that we must have full-on this government takeover of our health care system.”
FULL ENTRYConservative groups attack healthcare bill
Liberal and labor groups who favor the healthcare overhaul plans of President Obama and congressional Democrats don't have the airwaves to themselves.
Groups opposed to healthcare "reform" are also airing ads on cable TV, trying to win the hearts and minds of the public as negotiations continue in Congress.
Here's one from the conservative Patients United Now that questions the rush to action in Congress.
And here's one from Conservatives for Patients' Rights, which asserts that Americans could be squeezed by the healthcare bill four different ways: higher taxes, a bigger federal deficit, increased insurance premiums, and more government control of healthcare.
Labor ad says healthcare moving at snail's pace
A pro-Democratic labor coalition has a reply to Republicans who say the healthcare overhaul push in too much, too fast.
The new cable TV spot released this morning by Americans United for Change says that by calling for delay, Republicans are really trying to kill reform, again.
"The Republicans claim the health insurance reform debate has been moving at lightning speed," the announcer says over an animated snail inching past sign posts starting with the year 1993. "In fact for 15 years, it’s hardly moved at all. Meanwhile premiums have gone up 3 times faster than wages, health insurance profits have soared and 14,000 Americans lose their health insurance everyday."
"Now the Republicans say Congress should slow down? That’s because when something goes slow enough it’s easy to kill it dead in its tracks," the announcer says as a dress shoe squashes the snail.
"Tell Congress you want health insurance reform now," the announcer concludes.
Another liberal group, MoveOn.org, also has a new healthcare ad up.
This one goes after Republicans, quoting them as saying they want to defeat President Obama on the issue, including Senator Jim DeMint's much-cited remark that healthcare could be Obama's "Waterloo."
While Obama is pushing reform, Republicans are "doing nothing -- actually worse than nothing" by turning the issue into a political football, the announcer says as a football is shown spiraling through the air -- then shattering a window.
"Tell Congress this isn't a game," the narrator concludes.
The Democratic National Committee piled on this afternoon with a web video of its own, hammering Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell for claiming that every GOP senators favors a healthcare bill. Titled "Are you serious?" the ad argues that Republicans have showed they don't want change.
“The Republican playbook on health insurance reform is now plainly clear and it’s well past time for Mitch McConnell to acknowledge that his Party’s strategy is to try and use the health insurance reform debate to score a political win on the backs of struggling American families and small businesses. Now that members of his own caucus are stating publicly their desire to see the President ‘fail’, McConnell’s attempts to profess bipartisanship are falling more than a little flat,” DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse said in a statement.
“The status quo that the Republican Party is championing is breaking American families, small businesses and state budgets across the nation and only stands to get far worse in the years ahead if nothing is done - as they propose. By standing in the way of health insurance reform, Republicans are protecting their special interest friends and ignoring their duty to serve the interests of their constituents.”
Americans United for Change also launched a radio spot on nine Maine stations today aiming at persuading Senator Olympia Snowe, a key moderate Republican, to support the healthcare bill.
“Americans have been waiting for meaningful health care reform since Truman was president and. Sen. Snowe is a critical voice on the Senate Finance Committee,” Frank Gallagher, the Maine state director of Americans United for Change, said in a statement. “Health care is not going to reform itself. The insurance industry will not suddenly stop lobbying to kill reform or quit raising our premiums, and the Republican leadership has stated repeatedly that they are actively trying to kill it. Sen. Snowe has a long record of going against her party’s leadership to do what’s right for Maine. It’s time for her to do that again.”
Democrats blast GOP on healthcare
Democrats kept up their assault on Republicans on healthcare, announcing a new national TV ad today calling them out for trying to stop healthcare overhaul.
The ad asserts that without sweeping change, insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses will continue rising and more people will be denied coverage at all.
"Tell Republicans the cost of doing nothing is just too high," the spot concludes.
“For eight years the Republican Party ignored skyrocketing health insurance costs and American families and small businesses paid a devastating price for their negligence. Now, the ‘Party of NO’ admits their true intention is to ‘kill’ health insurance reform, putting their special interest friends over the people they were elected to serve. Already, families across the country are faced with insurmountable burdens: premiums that are rising at a rate three times faster than wages, insurance companies who are free to deny coverage to those who need health care the most, and rapidly rising co-pays that are forcing families to choose between paying their mortgage and paying their health care bills,” Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse said in a statement.
“The status quo that the Republican Party is championing is breaking American families, small businesses and state budgets across the nation and only stands to get far worse in the years ahead if nothing is done - as they propose. And still, the GOP continues to see health insurance reform as an opportunity to score a political win for their ailing party. This time, however, the stakes are too high, the cost of doing nothing too great, for the Republican Party to engage in the same partisan political games we’ve come to expect from them.”
On the road again for healthcare, as Senate delays
President Obama hit the road again today in his healthcare push, going to Cleveland to tour a clinic he calls a model for the nation and meet the public in a campaign-style appearance at a high school.
UPDATE: In his opening remarks before taking questions from the audience at Shaker Heights High, Obama reprised his campaign mantra of change.
"I know there are those who like to focus on the political back-and-forth in Washington," he said. "But my only concern is the people who sent us there: the families feeling the pain of this recession; the folks I’ve met across this country who have lost jobs and savings and health insurance, but haven’t lost hope; the citizens who defied the cynics and the skeptics -- who went to the polls to demand real and lasting change. This change was the cause of my campaign, and it is the cause of my presidency."
He continued trying to reassure Americans who like their current insurance, while promising improvements.
"I want to be clear: reform isn’t just about the nearly 46 million Americans without health insurance.... If you already have health insurance, the reform we're proposing will give you more security. It will keep the government out of your health care decisions, giving you the option to keep your coverage if you’re happy with it....And it will keep the insurance companies out of your health care decisions, too, by stopping insurers from cherry-picking who they cover, and holding insurers to higher standards for what they cover," he said.
"You won’t have to worry about receiving a surprise bill in the mail, because we’ll limit the amount your insurance company can force you to pay out of your own pocket. You won’t have to worry about pre-existing conditions, because never again will anyone in America be denied coverage because of a previous illness or injury. And you won’t have to worry about losing coverage if you lose or leave your job, because every American who needs insurance will have access to affordable plans through a health insurance exchange, a marketplace where insurance companies will compete to cover you, not to deny you coverage."
Obama also took on his Republican critics, including GOP chairman Michael Steele for saying that the healthcare overhaul was happening too soon.
"I think that's a little odd. We’ve been talking about health reform since the days of Harry Truman. How can it be too soon?" Obama asked, increduously.
"I don’t think it’s too soon for the families who’ve seen their premiums rise faster than wages year after year. It’s not too soon for the businesses forced to drop coverage or shed workers because of mounting healthcare expenses. It’s not too soon for taxpayers asked to close widening deficits that stem from rising healthcare costs, costs that threaten to leave our children with a mountain of debt," the president added.
"Reform may be coming too soon for some in Washington, but it’s not soon enough for the American people."
(His full remarks are below, along with the question-and-answer session.)
But it doesn't appear the overhaul will happen as fast as Obama wants.
The top Democrat in the Senate said today that his chamber won't vote until after the August recess -- and beyond Obama's hoped-for timetable.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters that the Senate Finance Committee will act on its portion of the bill before the monthlong break, but the bill won't be combined with separate legislation passed by the Senate health committee and sent to the full Senate until September, after the recess.
Reid said the decision to delay a vote was made Wednesday night in the hopes of getting a final bipartisan bill, the Associated Press reports.
Obama downplayed the Senate delay. "That's OK, I just want people to keep working," he said, departing from his prepared remarks and saying he still wants a bill on his desk this year.
"I don't want a delay just because of politics," he told the town hall crowd.
Earlier, Obama toured the Cleveland Clinic, which in his prime-time news conference on Wednesday he said has "set up a system where patient care is the number-one concern, not bureaucracy, what forms have to be filled out, what do we get reimbursed for.
"Those are changes that I think the American people want to see," he added. "....Cleveland Clinic is simply a role model for some of the kind of changes that we want to see.
He said he wasn't expecting an endorsement from the clinic for his healthcare overhaul plan.
But he also probably doesn't want a slap, either, as Democrats received on Monday from the Mayo Clinic, another
The famous nonprofit clinic in Minnesota said Monday that the House Democratic plan "misses the opportunity to help create higher quality, more affordable health care for patients."
"In fact, it will do the opposite," clinic officials said, because the proposals aren't focused enough on patients and results. "The real losers will be the citizens of the United States."
Republicans eagerly jumped on the statement to bash Democrats, but the clinic signed on Wednesday to a more measured letter to Congress. (Read it here.)
"I think it's important to note that the Mayo Clinic was initially critical and concerned about whether there were enough changes in the delivery system and cost-saving measures in the original House bill," Obama said Wednesday night.
"After they found out that we had put forward very specific mechanisms for this MedPAC idea, this idea of experts getting the politics out of health care and making decisions based on the best evidence out there, they wrote in their blog the very next day that we actually think this would make a difference. Okay?"
Obama makes his case
President Obama, seeking public support for his healthcare plan, is trying tonight to answer a key question on the minds of Americans: What's in it for me?
"I realize that with all the charges and criticisms being thrown around in Washington, a lot of Americans may be wondering, “What’s in this for me? How does my family stand to benefit from health insurance reform?' ” he said, opening his fourth primetime news conference at a pivotal moment early in his presidency.
"Tonight I want to answer those questions. Because even though Congress is still working through a few key issues, we already have rough agreement on the following areas: If you already have health insurance, the reform we’re proposing will provide you with more security and more stability. It will keep government out of healthcare decisions, giving you the option to keep your insurance if you’re happy with it. It will prevent insurance companies from dropping your coverage if you get too sick. It will give you the security of knowing that if you lose your job, if you move, or if you change your job, you will still be able to have coverage. It will limit the amount your insurance company can force you to pay for your medical costs out of your own pocket. And it will cover preventive care like check-ups and mammograms that save lives and money.
"Now, if you don’t have health insurance, or are a small business looking to cover your employees, you’ll be able to choose a quality, affordable health plan through a health insurance exchange -- a marketplace that promotes choice and competition. Finally, no insurance company will be allowed to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition," Obama said to a nationwide television audience.
"I have also pledged that health insurance reform will not add to our deficit over the next decade -- and I mean it."
The president also asserted that health reform is "central" to rebuilding the US economy "stronger than before."
"This is not just about the 47 million Americans who don't have any health insurance at all. Reform is about every American who has ever feared that they may lose their coverage if they become too sick, or lose their job, or change their job. It’s about every small business that has been forced to lay off employees or cut back on their coverage because it became too expensive. And it’s about the fact that the biggest driving force behind our federal deficit is the skyrocketing cost of Medicare and Medicaid.
"So let me be clear: If we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit. If we do not reform healthcare, your premiums and out-of-pocket costs will continue to skyrocket. If we don't act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day. These are the consequences of inaction. These are the stakes of the debate that we’re having right now.
He also took on his critics directly, accusing them of putting political games ahead of the country.
"I understand how easy it is for this town to become consumed in the game of politics -- to turn every issue into a running tally of who’s up and who’s down. I’ve heard that one Republican strategist told his party that even though they may want to compromise, it’s better politics to 'go for the kill.' Another Republican senator said that defeating health reform is about 'breaking' me," he said.
"So let me be clear: This isn’t about me. I have great health insurance, and so does every member of Congress. This debate is about the letters I read when I sit in the Oval Office every day, and the stories I hear at town hall meetings….This debate is not a game for these Americans, and they can't afford to wait any longer for reform. They are counting on us to get this done. They are looking to us for leadership. And we can't let them down. We will pass reform that lowers cost, promotes choice, and provides coverage that every American can count on. And we will do it this year."
(His full prepared remarks are below.)
Asked first which specific proposals being talked about in Congress he would support, especially on financing, Obama declined, instead outlining broad principles.
After finding as much savings as possible, he said he proposed what he believed would work best -- limiting income tax deductions for higher-earning families -- but Congress has not accepted that idea. He said he was not foreclosing other options, as long as they don't burden middle-class families. "I want to wait to see what emerges from these committees," he said.
Obama said he understands public skepticism, given the recent history of what Washington has produced.
But if the country just reduced healthcare costs by $2,000 or $3,000 a year -- not the $6,000 difference between the United States and other Western countries -- the help for most families would be significant, he said.
Asked why he was pressing so hard for Congress to act before the August recess, he said he is "rushed" because he gets letters from families every day who say they are being "clobbered by healthcare costs."
"In a country like ours, that's not right," he said.
He also said that without deadlines, nothing happens in Washington. "Inertia is the default position," he added, because change always upsets one special interest or another.
But he also said he won't sign a bill that isn't ready, just to meet a deadline.
"I do think it's important to get this right," he said.
Asked whether the health overhaul will cover all 47 million uninsured, he replied, "I want to cover everybody."
But he acknowledged that without a single-payer system where all Americans are automatically enrolled, some will choose not to get insurance even if they are required to do so and even if there are subsidies, so some will go uncovered.
A good plan should cover 97 or 98 percent of the population, he said.
Asked about infighting among Democrats and whether they would be to blame if a bill isn't passed, Obama said there are legitimate regional differences and concerns. "This is part of the normal give and take of the legislative process," he said.
He also said that Republicans have good ideas that should be incorporated and named in particular Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Olympia Snowe of Maine for their contributions to the bill drafting.
Asked about what sacrifices Americans would have to make to cut healthcare spending, Obama said they would have to give up care that doesn't make them healthier, such as unnecessary tests. "You're wasting money," he said. "We just can't afford what we're doing right now."
He did not touch the controversial issue of healthcare rationing, such as limiting the amount of care for the terminally ill.
He hit back at those who say the healthcare proposals would worsen the record federal deficits. Directly addressing those in the public who he said had been "ginned up" by the accusations, he said that he inherited the vast majority of the deficit and that healthcare reform "is designed to lower it."
Asked about whether he is violating a pledge on openness on the healthcare deliberations and other issues, Obama rejected the charge. He said that the identities of health executives visiting the White House have been public and that the kickoff healthcare event was televised on C-SPAN.
Asked by a reporter for a newspaper in Cleveland, where Obama plans a town hall on Thursday, about the public insurance option, the president said it would be similar to what members of Congress get.
He repeated that the public plan is needed to keep private insurers honest, saying that several firms recently reported record profits even as families pay more for their care.
Asked by the same reporter whether he would accept the public plan, Obama said he would, but pointed out that as president, a White House doctor follows him everywhere.
FULL ENTRYGOP videos slam Obama, Democrats; Dems hit back
The political skirmishes and name-calling over healthcare show no signs of ending.
Senator Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican -- who raised President Obama's hackles by saying that a defeat on healthcare could be the "Waterloo" for his presidency -- didn't back down today. He might have upped the ante, saying it's time to "put the brakes" on Obama because he is on a dangerous spending spree.
"It's not personal," DeMint said this morning on NBC's "Today" show. "We've got to stop his politics."
UPDATE: Going after DeMint, the Democratic National Committee unveiled a hard-hitting TV ad this afternoon that will run in Washington and his home state.
"Jim DeMint will break families & small businesses," the ad says. "Putting special interests first, putting South Carolina last."
"The only health care plan Jim DeMint supports is no plan at all," the ad concludes.
“The politicization of health care reform by Senator Jim DeMint and Republicans is a desperate and shameful ploy by the ‘Party of NO’ to score a political win on the backs of struggling American families and small businesses," DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse said in a statement. "What’s worse is that this strategy originates from the same Republican Party who ignored health care reform for the past eight years, letting costs spiral out of control while protecting their special interest friends."
Representative Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House, continued his assault with a web video that accuses Obama and congressional Democrats of jeopardizing the healthcare system.
Democrats "are in a hurry, a reckless rush and still can't answer some fundamental questions," the announcer says, including how much the overhaul would cost. The video also accuses Obama of opening the door to reneging on his pledge not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year, though Democratic plans don't propose that.
“We won't be lectured by Eric Cantor and Republicans on being reckless," responded Democratic National Committee spokesman Hari Sevugan. "While the President is offering a constructive way forward to get something done after we've been trying to reform health care for decades, Eric Cantor and Republicans are offering nothing more than partisan obstruction, the status quo and more cries of ‘NO.’
“What's reckless is saying you want to ‘kill’ health care reform when American families have seen 80 percent hikes in premiums this decade alone. What's reckless is saying you want to ‘break’ the President on health care when small business are going broke paying for insurance. What Eric Cantor and the Republican Party don't understand is that the most reckless thing we can do, as they propose, is nothing.”
The Republican National Committee is up with a web video of its own, a take-off on those TV ads for all kinds of prescription drugs.
With idyllic images of couples frolicking in fields of flowers, the video says that Obama and Democrats are trying to sell "Reforma" on healthcare.
But it warns of dangerous side effects, including government control of healthcare, higher medical costs, and bureaucratic gridlock.
"Not recommended for people who may need actual medical care," it says.
Obama backers in Mass. pointed to Maine
It's like most national elections -- when Massachusetts is a slam dunk for Democrats, so activists instead go to more competitive states to make a difference.
With both Democratic Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry of Massachusetts firmly on board with the healthcare overhaul, President Obama's grassroots supporters in the Bay State are being urged to help sway Maine's two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, who are key moderates in the debate.
Organizing for America sent an email this afternoon with a link and encouragement to call voters in Maine and get them to call Collins and Snowe.
"With the health care debate coming down to the wire in Congress, we need every vote we can get. Both of your Massachusetts senators are fighting hard for reform, but the two senators from nearby Maine -- Senator Olympia Snowe and Senator Susan Collins -- are under tremendous pressure to cave to special interests. They need to hear from constituents who want them to stand with the President -- and you can help," wrote Jeremy Bird, deputy director of Organizing for America.
"There are voters in Maine who want to fix our health care system as much as you do, and they may not know how much power they have to make it happen. Let them know, and help bring our country one big step closer to the reform we need."
Pelosi tries to pitch in on healthcare
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, trying to rally her troops and help President Obama on his healthcare push, is holding a news conference this morning to brag on the House Democratic bill.
She brought with her "real Americans," including a cancer patient from Norwood, Mass., who would benefit from the legislation and are telling their personal stories.
House Democrats' bill would pay for extending insurance coverage with a surtax on Americans with annual incomes of $280,000 or more. But fiscal conservatives, known as the Blue Dog coalition, have objected to the financing and have stalled the legislation after it passed two committees last week.
In response, Pelosi is floating the prospect of imposing the surtax starting with those making $1 million or more a year.
UPDATE: House Republicans said this afternoon that by their count, at least 42 House Democrats have expressed qualms or outright opposition to the bill. (Click here to see the list.)
But Representative Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat in the party's leadership, said today that he's "very hopeful" that the House will pass the bill next week.
“Very frankly, every member of the Caucus, every member, from Blue Dog to Progressive and everybody in-between says ‘they want to vote for healthcare reform bill’ and the American public wants to see one,” he said on Fox News Channel.
“We want to get it right, but, we don’t think simply considering it for another next 16 years will necessarily be the solution to getting it right. We need to get it done.”
Obama: All healthcare, all the time
President Obama is firmly, stubbornly staying wih his persistent push on healthcare.
But for good reason: While the fate of the sweeping legislation might not be the "Waterloo" turning point of his presidency -- as some Republicans hope from defeating him -- Obama has staked a huge pile of his political poker chips on victory.
This afternoon, in his almost daily remarks healthcare, Obama took on his opponents, saying that they would rather "score political points" than help families struggling with healthcare and that some will try to delay health reform until the special interests kill it.
While acknowledging that there is work to do for a final deal, he went on to tick off the areas of agreement in the working Senate and House versions and the broader consensus with health industry groups.
"We have traveled long and hard to reach this point," Obama said, through decades of Washington failing to fix healthcare. (His full remarks are below.)
UPDATE: Backing up Obama, the Democratic National Committee released a new web video today bashing Republican critics of the president's healthcare plan. It juxtaposes Republicans saying they want Obama to fail, with Obama's response.
“Over the last few days we've learned the true intentions of the Republican party when it comes to health care, and those intentions, while not surprising, are disturbing. Let's be clear - the same Republican party that let health care costs spiral out of control over the last eight years while protecting their special interest friends, is now expressly saying that they want to ‘kill’ health care reform and that their interest is to ‘break’ the President politically," DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse said in a statement.
“The Republican approach of working to kill health care reform when so many American families are struggling is not only broken, it's also irresponsible. Republicans would be better served if they focused on killing off this callous attitude within their party that puts fixing their own political problems ahead of fixing problems for American families.”
Republicans countered by saying that Obama is trying to move too fast with a plan that could derail the economic recovery. "Healthcare reform is too important to rush through and get wrong," Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky argued in a floor speech today.
They also asserted that House Democrats have been told not to cooperate with Republicans on healthcare legislation and that Democrats are making a mountain out of the molehill of Senator Jim DeMint's quotation that a healthcare defeat could be Obama's Waterloo.
"The White House and Democrats are jumping on one quote to set up Republicans as a straw man to mask over their internal party divisions which are delaying their drive for government-run healthcare," Joe Pounder, spokesman for the No. 2 House Republican Eric Cantor, said in a statement.
"However, we recall one remarkable quote from a key House Democrat, Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN), who wrote that House Democrats are being 'explicitly told not to work with Republicans.' Just to be clear: the White House and Democrats are using a fake straw man argument. Democrats don’t want to work with Republicans but at the same time, want to blame Republicans for their failures."
Obama plans to return to the subject in a primetime news conference Wednesday and a town hall in Cleveland Thursday.
Obama also plans to meet this afternoon with Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which hasn't passed the healthcare bill. Two other House panels approved their portions of the bill last week, but fiscally conservative Democrats on the Energy committee are balking at the bill's financing, among other issues.
The House Ways and Means Committee voted last week to pay for healthcare by imposing an income surtax on couples making as little as $350,000 a year and individuals earning as little as $280,000. To try to get conservative Democrats on board, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is proposing to limit the income tax increases to couples making more than $1 million a year and individuals making more than $500,000.
In an interview aired this morning on NBC's "Today" show, Obama defended his insistence on Congress passing healthcare overhaul legislation before its August summer recess. "If you don't set a deadline in this town, nothing happens," the president said, adding, "And the deadline isn't being set by me. It's being set by the American people."
FULL ENTRYObama under fire on healthcare
President Obama continued his full-court press today for sweeping healthcare legislation, holding a roundtable discussion with providers at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington.
Trying to get healthcare overhaul back on track, Obama took a populist bent, asserting that big insurers and pharmaceutical firms and other special interests are reaping huge benefits from the existing healthcare system, while American families struggle.
Unless healthcare is reformed, he said, families will pay more and more of their income for less and less care.
Obama also took on his Republican opponents, incredulously citing South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint's remark last week that a defeat on healthcare would be Obama's "Waterloo" -- undermining his presidency.
"This isn't about me, this isn't about politics, this about a healthcare system that is breaking," the president said
He said the "politics of delay and defeat" should not be allowed to succeed -- and the nation needs a healthcare overhaul this year.
"Let's fight our way through the politics of the moment," he said.
"We've talked this problem to death," he added. (His full remarks are below.)
UPDATE: Senator Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, added his criticism of Obama, saying that the healthcare push looks a lot like the push for the $787 billion stimulus package, which he asserted has been a failure.
“By any standard upon which it was sold to us, not that it would do some good two or three years from now, but now, by that standard it has been a failure,” McConnell said this afternoon on Fox News Channel. “People feel like they got burned on the Stimulus vote, there were a few people that voted for it who feel like they got burned. A lot of the rest of us are saying, you know, we told you this might not have been the right thing to do.”
“The American people are now looking at this healthcare proposal and are saying this sounds a lot like what we were just told a few months ago on the stimulus, 'You got to get it done tomorrow or bad things are going to happen,' ” he added. “There is suspicion that this is a do over from the stimulus that we had just a few months ago, being sold to us as something we have to do immediately, that may not work.”
But as various versions of the bill wend their way through Congress, Obama is spending most of his time on the defensive against critics of the reform proposals even as he stakes the early success of his presidency on passing healthcare this year.
Perhaps for good reason -- a new Washington Post/ABC News poll published today showed that the public's approval of Obama's handling of the issue has dropped below the 50 percent threshold for the first time.
In the poll, 49 percent approve of his healthcare proposals and 44 percent disapprove. The approval number is down 8 percentage points from April and the disapproval number is up 15 percentage points as more attention -- and more criticism -- has focused on the proposals.
The poll also found that the president's approval ratings on other major issues, such as the economy and the federal budget deficit, have also slipped in recent months. His overall approval rating is higher than his marks on specific issues -- 59 percent positive and 37 negative -- but it's still the first time since he took office that his overall rating dropped below 60 percent in the Post-ABC poll, and is down six percentage points from just last month. The survey, conducted July 15-18, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
UPDATE: A second poll out today also found public skepticism about Obama's healthcare plan.
In the USA Today/Gallup survey, conducted Friday through Sunday, Americans by 50 percent to 44 percent disapprove of his handling of healthcare, and by 49 percent to 47 percent disapprove of his handling of the economy.
Sensing some vulnerability, Republicans are on the attack.
GOP Chairman Michael Steele, in a speech this morning at the National Press Club, accused Obama of "risky experimentation" with his healthcare proposals and asserted that Democrats want to impose government-run healthcare.
Asked whether the plans amounted to socialism, Steele said yes.
"Many Democrats outside of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid-Waxman cabal know that voters won't stand for these kinds of foolish prescriptions for our health care. We do too. That's why Republicans will stop at nothing to remind voters about the risky experimentation going on in Washington," Steele said, according to the Associated Press.
Obama wants a public insurance option to compete with private insurers and, he says, keep them honest, but has repeatedly said he does not favor a government-run health care system.
Republicans are backing up Steele's criticisms with a new TV ad that derides Obama's economic stimulus plan as a "massive spending experiment" that has failed to produce jobs. Featuring an ominous voiceover and images of children, the 30-second spot warns that his healthcare plan would "risk everything."
UPDATE: Democratic National Committee chairman Tim Kaine this afternoon issued a lengthy response to Steele, accusing Republicans of being far more interested in scoring political points than helping Americans with their healthcare.
“This morning, Chairman Steele delivered a speech announcing a ‘new’ Republican campaign against the President’s efforts to reform America’s broken health care system. Republican opposition to health care reform, however, is anything but new. In his speech, Chairman Steele spoke at length about the potential risks to reforming our failed health care system. It's sad, but not surprising, that the Republican Party, which for so long has supported the very policies and vested interests that helped get us to this crisis point, are unable to recognize the that the real risk is to do nothing at all, as they propose," Kaine said.
“Despite the crisis that confronts American families, the GOP continues to argue for the status quo on behalf of the special interests. If we do nothing as the Republican ‘Party of NO’ would have us do, we not only will ensure more of the same, but guarantee a growing crisis that will put a burden on our children that they will never overcome," Kaine added.
“It was also stunning - and sad - to hear that Chairman Steele agreed with Senator DeMint's comments that stopping health care reform would ‘break’ the President politically. What's ‘broken’ is a health care system where costs continue to explode, working families can't afford their premiums, small business can't compete, and where the Republican Party is interested in ensuring that we do nothing about these problems purely for their own political gain."
While Republican attacks are to expected, even some of Obama's allies are not happy with the direction the healthcare legislation is going.
Some Democrats, notably Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, want to tax the most generous employer-provided health benefits -- an idea Obama hasn't endorsed. But in an op-ed piece in Sunday's Washington Post, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney rails against the proposal.
Unions oppose the idea, arguing that employees have given up salary increases over the years and accepted better health benefits in return.
"Persistent misconceptions about the 'tax-favored treatment' of employer-sponsored coverage are that it (1) leads to overconsumption of health services and (2) favors the wealthy," Sweeney's piece says.
"With rising health costs burdening businesses and families alike, does anyone really believe that employers or workers lack incentive to hold down costs? The tax treatment of health benefits no more contributes to high health-care costs than the deduction for mortgage interest is responsible for housing costs. Clearly, both are affected by far more complex factors."
Kennedy: 'We can't afford to wait' on healthcare
Senator Edward M. Kennedy -- absent in person during the healthcare debate in Congress, but there "in spirit," as President Obama says -- says in a new first-person magazine article that the push for reform is the "cause of my life."
"Last year, I was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Surgeons at Duke University Medical Center removed part of the tumor, and I had proton-beam radiation at Massachusetts General Hospital. I've undergone many rounds of chemotherapy and continue to receive treatment. Again, I have enjoyed the best medical care money (and a good insurance policy) can buy," Kennedy writes in the new edition of Newsweek.
"But quality care shouldn't depend on your financial resources, or the type of job you have, or the medical condition you face. Every American should be able to get the same treatment that U.S. senators are entitled to."
The Massachusetts Democrat says the time is now for a comprehensive bill that offers universal coverage. Incremental measures won't suffice anymore. We need to succeed where Teddy Roosevelt and all others since have failed. The conditions now are better than ever. In Barack Obama, we have a president who's announced that he's determined to sign a bill into law this fall. And much of the business community, which has suffered the economic cost of inaction, is helping to shape change, not lobbying against it."
Kennedy takes on the skeptics of the cost of reform: "I've heard the critics complain about the costs of change. I'm confident that at the end of the process, the change will be paid for—fairly, responsibly, and without adding to the federal deficit. It doesn't make sense to negotiate in the pages of NEWSWEEK, but I will say that I'm open to many options, including a surtax on