Research Briefing

Democrats Falling Apart While Government-Run Health Care Proposal Dealt Another Blow

PELOSI REBUFFED BY FELLOW DEMS ON HAVING ENOUGH SUPPORT IN HOUSE

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “I Take This Bill To The Floor, It Will Win.” (CNN’s “State Of The Nation,” 7/26/09)

But Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) Says Pelosi Doesn’t Have Enough Support To Pass Government-Run Health Care. CBS’ BOB SCHIEFFER: “Can she take that bill to the floor next week yet? Does she have the votes yet to pass it?” REP. COOPER: “I don't believe so next week. I think that the American people want to take a closer look at this legislation. They want to feel comfortable with it. I think most members of the House and Senate want the same thing. We are still in the earliest stages of drafting reform. We have a long way to go.” (CBS’s “Face The Nation,” 7/26/09)

HOUSE DEMS BATTLING SENATE DEMS ON INDUSTRY “SAVINGS” DEALS, BIPARTISANSHIP

Pelosi Confirms House Dems Will Not Adhere To Senate Dems’ Deals With Hospitals, Drug Industry. PELOSI: “Some of us in the House do not support agreements made with the Senate to say limit the cost savings from the pharmaceutical industry, from the hospital industry … So we think there are more savings that can be gained.” (CNN’s State Of The Nation, 7/26/09)

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) Says Bill Only Supported By Democrats “Not Possible,” “Not Desirable.” ABC’S GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: “Just not possible to have a Democrat-only bill?” CONRAD: “No, it is not possible and perhaps not desirable, either. We're probably going to get a better product if we go through the tough business of debate, consideration, analysis of what we're proposing. It is so important get this right and that it's sustainable.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 7/26/09)

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) Would Give Up His Committee’s Influence Before Allowing Bipartisan Input. “Waxman was meeting again Friday with Blue Dog members of his committee who have balked at supporting the bill … ‘I think they will agree to let our committee go forward with markup and not vote with Republicans to eviscerate the legislation,’ he said. ‘I will not allow them to turn over control of the committee to Republicans, as they’ve threatened to do.’” (Drew Armstrong, Richard Rubin And Edward Epstein, “House Leaders Say They’ve Met Concerns of Dissident Democrats,” CQ Today, 7/24/09)

CBO DEALS ANOTHER BLOW TO DEMS’ CLAIMS ON GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE

CBO Says New Agency To Be Created Under Government-Run Health Care Would Produce Little To No Savings. “CBO estimates that enacting the proposal, as drafted, would yield savings of $2 billion over the 2010–2019 period (with all of the savings realized in fiscal years 2016 through 2019) if the proposal was added to H.R. 3200 … In CBO’s judgment, the probability is high that no savings would be realized …” (Douglas W. Elmendorf, “Approaches To Giving The President Broad Authority To Change Medicare,” Letter To House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, 7/25/09)

Huge Blow For What Dems Call “Most Important” Way To Pay For Government-Run Health Care. “[C]ongressional budget analysts have dealt a blow to the Democrat's health reform efforts … by saying a plan touted by the White House as crucial to paying for the bill would actually save almost no money over 10 years. A key House chairman and moderate House Democrats on Tuesday agreed to a White House-backed proposal that would give an outside panel the power to make cuts to government-financed health care programs. White House budget director Peter Orszag declared the plan ‘probably the most important piece that can be added’ to the House's health care reform legislation ….” (Chris Frates, “CBO Deals New Blow To Health Plan,” Politico, 7/25/09)