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Reid Hopes To Unveil Health Care Bill Details Next Week
Brian Beutler | October 23, 2009, 6:02PM
Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)
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These deadlines seem to be made to be broken, and with all the hoopla surrounding the public option still unfolding, it could happen. But a leadership source tells me that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hopes to unveil details of the Senate health care bill--the merged version of the Senate HELP and Finance Committee bills--early next week.
We know things are still changing. We know Reid has been leaning toward incorporating an opt-out public option in the final package. We know that other public option compromises are under consideration. We know that the White House has been trying to push back against Reid on this. What we don't know yet is what the outcome of all this sturm und drang will be. We may find out sooner than later.
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Indie Pro
October 23, 2009 6:17 PM
We know that the White House has been trying to push back against Reid on this.
you guys seem to feel pretty comfortable with this statement. I wonder who your sources are.
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Philv
October 23, 2009 6:30 PM in reply to Indie Pro
I hope that at the minimum they come from different sides of this issue, less chance to have someone just pushing an agenda.
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Dorn76
October 23, 2009 6:32 PM in reply to Indie Pro
It does beg the question, considering "sources" have now eclipsed what I thought were pretty clear statements in favor of the PO by Valerie Jarret. But that was this morning, practically another era.
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Indie Pro
October 23, 2009 6:36 PM in reply to Dorn76
I don't remember exactly, but she didn't mention which PO. Just PO, which has been the consistently annoying line from the Whitehouse.
This has been all over the place. Lots of wrangling. My guess is something not too appealing is in the works, and someone is gonna have to take the lumps, and no one wants it.
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Dorn76
October 23, 2009 7:12 PM in reply to Indie Pro
It's true they've been deliberately vague, but they've always said they support a public option to further their ultimate goals of ensuring choice, competition and cost control in any reform.
He won't sign a bill that doesn't do those three things....(grips 4 leaf clover, rabbit's foot and horseshoe; crosses fingers, prays to everything Holy, while avoiding all black cats, ladders and broken mirrors.)
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Andreams
October 24, 2009 9:56 AM in reply to Indie Pro
Sounds like everyone has to take their lumps except the insurance companies. What a gift! They will get age banding for rates, mandates for coverage, government $ for those who can't afford the jacked up premiums - and they're still not satisfied.
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fbacon2
October 23, 2009 6:55 PM in reply to Indie Pro
Spot on. Ezra Klein is reporting that the rumors of push-back really amounted to the WH telling Reid, "We hope you know what you're doing."
But then again, no one's name is on record and the process is too fluid to know for sure.
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Indie Pro
October 24, 2009 2:27 AM in reply to fbacon2
doesn't Ezra also say:
Reid went over to the White House for a talk with the president. The conversation centered on Reid's desire to put Schumer's national opt-out plan into the base bill. White House officials were not necessarily pleased, and they made that known.
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Indie Pro
October 24, 2009 2:28 AM in reply to fbacon2
holy crap, and goes on to say:
Everyone agrees that they [the Whitehouse] didn't embrace Reid's new strategy. Everyone agrees that the White House wants Snowe on the bill, feels the trigger offers a safer endgame, and isn't convinced by Reid's math.
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fbacon2
October 24, 2009 1:15 PM in reply to Indie Pro
He says all those things, yes. I'm not sure he's any closer to the truth than anyone else using anonymous sources is. What was interesting was his summary of the context, without resorting to inflammatory headlines. But if he's right, I can see how questions of senatorial strategy can get construed as the "position" and "desires" of the White House, especially when folks are trying to rally the troops.
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Walter Mitty
October 23, 2009 6:28 PM
If Reid says next week, assume next month if you're an optimist.
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bluebell
October 23, 2009 6:58 PM in reply to Walter Mitty
By then tens of millions of Americans will be in the middle of the annual open extortion racket.
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FreeRider
October 23, 2009 6:43 PM
What a bunch of hooey! Valerie Jarrett was on Morning Joe this morning saying the president doesn't want a trigger; he wants a public option. They'd be speaking a lot less definitive if he was working against a public option.
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calchala
October 23, 2009 7:15 PM
Brian, it was reported by Marc Ambinder that your reporting was incorrect. Here's someone on the record:
http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/10/white_house_denies_report_that_it_wants_to_weaken_public_plan.php
"The White House is denying reports that officials are pressuring Sen. Harry Reid to scale back the scope of the "public option" that'll be attached to the Senate health insurance bill. Talking Points Memo reported, based on unnamed sources close to the negotiations, that the White House is "skeptical" of a public option that includes a state opt-out choice, preferring -- and advocating for -- a public option that would kick in only if the private exchange failed to lower costs.
"The report is false. The White House continues to work with the Senate on the merging of the two bills," said Dan Pfeiffer, a top White House aide whose portfolio includes health care. "We are making good progress toward enacting comprehensive health reform.""
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Dorn76
October 23, 2009 7:19 PM in reply to calchala
Awaiting update, clarification, anything to clear up this silly "sources" business.
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willia451
October 23, 2009 7:29 PM
The Obama "Push Back" leak is probably valid. But leaked to provide cover for Reid and get us to beat the shit out of Obama instead. And leave Reid alone. MoveOn and everyone else is being played.
We're ALL being played like an old, bullshit fiddle.
And being hung out to dry and bled white. Don't buy into it.
Reid and the Senate is where the real fight has always been. Keep the pressure up on the Senate.
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Maritza
October 23, 2009 9:20 PM
White House said that they are NOT trying to push back on this. That has been reported in Politico tonight.
I think people read too much into everything.
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willia451
October 23, 2009 10:05 PM in reply to Maritza
Yes. We're being Yo-Yoed to death with trial balloons. Keep the pressure up on Reid and in the SENATE. THAT is where we need to focus.
Keeping the pressure up in the Senate will help Pelosi in the House and what they are trying to accomplish.
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AnswerFrog
October 23, 2009 10:57 PM
"We know that the White House has been trying to push back against Reid on this. "
I think its aggravating that TPM keeps reporting as fact speculation from anonymous sources, especially ones that refer to the WH as "them" and yet mindread WH intentions perfectly.
We're getting trial ballooned and spun to death here.
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Indie Pro
October 24, 2009 2:36 AM in reply to AnswerFrog
I think its aggravating that TPM keeps reporting as fact speculation from anonymous sources
I bet Nixon felt the same way.
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marklouis
October 24, 2009 1:06 AM
I don't think you know much of anything. The WH explicitly denied your earlier story about pushing the trigger. It seems as though they were more concerned with Harry Reid's ability to count votes than the actual policy. Maybe you ought to stop citing these anonymous sources to push your characterization of the President.
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storm
October 24, 2009 3:24 AM
what happens if a bill gets a vote and does not pass? Are there rules about repeatedly calling for votes on practically the same bill until it passes?
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Steve LaBonne
October 24, 2009 9:10 AM
Look, some of you, stop trying to deny the obvious truth which has now been reported by MANY different outlets. Obama wants a trigger because he remains attached to the delusion that it's important to pass a "bipartisan" bill i.e. Democrats + Snowe. I happen to think this is crazy and wrong both substantively and politically, but it's no surprise- anybody who's been paying attention has known all along that, for better or for worse, this is who Obama is. He will never be a progressive champion; he needs to be pushed. But he CAN be pushed and that remains a very good thing. We need to, and can, work with what we've got.
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musgrove
October 24, 2009 11:14 AM in reply to Steve LaBonne
your wrong.
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sparklplenty
October 24, 2009 6:55 PM in reply to Steve LaBonne
Finally some common sense. Pressure has to be kept up both on the Senate and the Whitehouse and the House for that matter. All the folks who slithered off from letting it be known their votes; Names need to be published so pressure can be put on them as well; We know the usual suspects but who else disappeared into the shadows without showing their face.
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