Research Briefing

Dems Playing Chicken, Can’t Agree Who Makes The First Vote

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HOUSE MEMBERS CAN’T STAND THE SENATE, DON’T TRUST THEM ENOUGH TO VOTE FIRST

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD): “We Need An Agreement Between The House And The Senate On Where We’re Going… Until We Have Such An Agreement, I Think, Neither The House Nor The Senate Will Move Either One’s Bill.” (Carrie Budoff Brown, “Obama Looking For Up-Or-Down Vote,” Politico, 3/2/10)

Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV): “I Am Not Inclined To Support The Senate Version… I Would Like Something More Concrete Than A Promise. The Senate Cannot Promise Its Way Out Of A Brown Paper Bag.” (Sheryl Gay Stolberg & Robert Pear, “Obama Calls For ‘Up Or Down Vote’ On Health Care Bill,” The New York Times, 3/3/10)

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY): “Fool Me Once, Shame On You. Fool Me 290 Times, Shame On Me… Most Things The Senate Said They Would Do, They Haven’t Done. There Are Too Many Deficiencies In The Senate Bill For Us To Go On Faith.” (Carrie Budoff Brown, “W.H. Warns Dems: Don't Flip-Flop,” Politico, 3/3/10)

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI): “You’re Going To Make Members Vote For A Bill That’s Going To Be Hung Around Your Neck Come Election Day… After Sending So Much Legislation To The Senate, We Just Don’t Trust That They’re Going To Do It.” (Janet Adamy, “Stupak: It’s Not Just Abortion,” The Wall Street Journal’s “Washington Wire” Blog, 3/1/10)

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT): “A Big Issue For The House Is Just Having Suspenders With Belts On The Plan To Ensure We Don't Get Left Holding The Bag With Just The Senate Bill By Itself…” (Erica Werner, “Some Dems Are Wary Of Obama's Final Health Push,” The Associated Press, 3/4/10)

“‘It's Fragile,’ Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., Said Of The Mood In The House.” (Erica Werner, “Some Dems Are Wary Of Obama's Final Health Push,” The Associated Press, 3/4/10)

SENATORS WANT HOUSE DEMS TO FALL IN LINE, PASS THEIR BILL, CITING PROCEDURAL ISSUES

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) Says Dems Will Use Reconciliation And The House Will Go First. “Sen. Tom Harkin told POLITICO that Senate Democratic leaders have decided to go the reconciliation route. The House, he said, will first pass the Senate bill after Senate leaders demonstrate to House leaders that they have the votes to pass reconciliation in the Senate.” (Manu Raju, “Harkin: Reconciliation Is A Go,” Politico’s “Live Pulse” Blog, 3/3/10)

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) Said The House Must Go First Or “It’s Dead.” “The House must pass the Senate bill first -- before either chamber considers the reconciliation package, he said. ‘I don't know of any way, I don't know of any way where you can have a reconciliation bill pass before the bill that it is meant to reconcile passes,’ said Conrad... ‘I don't know how you would deal with the scoring. I don't know how I could look you in the eye and say this package reduces the deficit. It's kind of got the cart before the horse.’ When reminded that House Democrats don't want to do health care in that order, Conrad said bluntly: ‘Fine, then it's dead.’” (“Conrad: Reform ‘Dead’ Unless House Passes Senate Bill First,” Politico, 2/24/10)

FRUSTRATED WITH WHITE HOUSE LEADERSHIP

Pelosi Spokesman Refuses To Endorse Obama’s Timeline. “In the Capitol just now, a top spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi refused to endorse the White House’s prefered timetable for passing reform… Asked about Gibbs’ remarks, Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami demurred. ‘We want to get the language, talk to our members and proceed forward,’ Elshami said, adding that the House didn’t have a timeline yet. Pressed on the White House’s desire for haste, Elshami repeatedly noted that Obama had loosely said he wants the bill done in the ‘next few weeks…’ Either way, Gibbs’ deadline of March 18th sure seemed like jumping the gun…” (Greg Sargent, “Pelosi’s Office Refuses To Endorse White House Timetable,” The Plum Line, 3/4/10)

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY): “I Am Very, Very Disappointed And Unhappy…The White House Is Taking Us For Granted, And They Shouldn’t.” (Sheryl Gay Stolberg & Robert Pear, “Obama Calls For ‘Up Or Down Vote’ On Health Care Bill,” The New York Times, 3/3/10)

Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA) Said Obama Needs A Scaled-Back Bill. “The Obama administration should scale back its sweeping health-care revamp and pass something that begins tackling people’s problems, Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon said Monday. ‘They need to look at cost-savings and those things that generally Republicans and Democrats agree on,’ Melancon said during a ‘Listening Tour’ U.S. Senate campaign stop here.” (Marsha Shuler, “Melancon Wants Obama To Alter Health-Care Plan,” The Advocate, 3/2/10)

Rep. Melancon: “If You Listened To Us From The Beginning, You Might Have A Health-Care Bill That’s More Palatable And Acceptable… I’m Not Much Of One Who Says, ‘I Told You So,’ But I Think ‘I Told You So’ Fits Here.” (Marsha Shuler, “Melancon Wants Obama To Alter Health-Care Plan,” The Advocate, 3/2/10)

WHILE VULNERABLE DEMS SCRAMBLE TO SAVE THEIR OWN SKINS

Ex-DNC Chairman Howard Dean Said Government-Run Health Care Plan “Hangs Out Every Democrat Who’s Running For Office To Dry” Because They Won’t Be Able To Defend It. “The plan, as it comes from the Senate, hangs out every Democrat who's running for office to dry -- including the president, in 2012, because it makes him defend a plan that isn't in effect essentially yet…” (Michael O’Brien, “Howard Dean: Health Bill Hangs Dem Incumbents And Obama Out To Dry In Elections,” The Hill’s “Briefing Room” Blog, 3/4/10)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) Is Campaigning On Her Opposition To Her Own Party. “Blanche Lincoln, despite her liberal primary challenge, tacks right in her first ad, bragging of her opposition to the public option, deriding Washington, and telling viewers, ‘I don't answer to my party. I answer to Arkansas.’” (Ben Smith, “Lincoln Ad: 'I Don't Answer To My Party,'” Politico’s “Ben Smith” Blog, 3/4/10)

Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) Doesn’t Think A Comprehensive Bill Can Pass And Says Congress Should Focus On Jobs. “Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), former NFL QB and leader of the 54-member Blue Dog Coalition of conservative Democrats, to The Daily Caller’s Jon Ward: ‘I was actually surprised that they’re pushing it again. The most important thing is jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. We need to focus on jobs. … I don’t think a comprehensive bill can pass …. I hate to use a football analogy, but first downs are a lot better than throwing the bomb route or the Hail Mary.’” (Mike Allen, “GOP Plans Dozens Or Hundreds Of Health Care Amendments -- Big RNC Donors Hit Steele For Planes, Ritz, Limos -- Airport Body Scanners To Finally Begin Rolling Out In March,” Politico’s Playbook, 2/23/10)

Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA): “I Just Don’t Know Where They Get The Votes In The House… I Don’t Know If There Is Anybody Who Voted No That Regrets It.” (Patrick O’Connor, “Pelosi's Challenge: Hold The Line,” Politico, 3/2/10)

• Rep. Altmire: “I Think That There’s A Missed Opportunity In What The President Put Forward… I Still Think It’s Very Weak In Cost Containment And We Can Do Better.” (FOX News’s “America Live,” 2/23/10)

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) Calls Obama’s Abortion Language “Unacceptable.” “Unfortunately, the president's proposal encompasses the senate language allowing public funding of abortion. The senate language is a significant departure from current law and is unacceptable.” (Ben Smith,” Stupak: “Unacceptable,” Politico’s “Live Pulse” Blog, 2/23/10)

• And Said There Are 15 To 20 House Dems Who Can’t Support Obama’s Proposal. “Rep. Bart Stupak, the Michigan Democrat who led efforts to tighten abortion language in the House health care bill, said Wednesday morning there are 15 to 20 House Democrats who cannot support President Barack Obama’s effort to bridge the gap between the House and Senate health plans. … He said well over a dozen House members will likely balk, not just on abortion but on the residual tax on so-called Cadillac health plans, which he said the House had already rejected.” (“Stupak: 15-20 Dems Can’t Back Obama Health Plan,” The Wall Street Journal’s “Washington Wire” Blog, 2/24/10)
  
  
• But Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) Claims “The Pro-Choice Members, 42 Of Us Who Signed A Letter Saying We Want To Maintain The Status Quo, Will Not Vote For The Bill If It Includes The Stupak Language.” (Mark Silva, “Abortion Limits: Healthcare Sticking Point,” The Chicago Tribune’s “The Swamp” Blog, 2/24/10)

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE): “I Haven't Seen A Good Cost Estimate… And Anytime You Don't Have That You Have To Be Concerned.” (David Lightman, “Centrist Democrats Lukewarm On Obama's New Health Plan,” McClatchy Newspapers, 2/23/10)

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) Doesn’t Like Government Involvement With Insurance Premiums. “Mr. Nelson criticized a new White House provision that would give the federal government powers to hold down insurance premiums, saying that should be up to the states. ‘I don't think there's a need for the federal government to step in on this,’ he said.” (Janet Adamy & Greg Hitt, “Health Bill Faces Hurdles In House,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/24/10)

Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN): “It Looks Like We’re Trying To Cram Something Through…” (Kristin Jensen & Laura Litvan, “Obama Faces Friction Among Democrats Over Health Plan (Update1),” Bloomberg, 3/1/10)

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY): “I Think He's Going To Have A Bill That's Not Going To Be As Good As The House Bill…” (Michael O’Brien, “Weiner: Obama's Health Bill Won't Be As Good As House Bill,” The Hill’s “Briefing Room” Blog, 3/2/10)

“[R]ep. John Tanner (D., Tenn.), Who Is Taking A ‘Wait And See Approach’ To The Bill And Wants To See Details, A Spokesman Said.” (Greg Hitt, Laura Meckler & Janet Adamy, “Democrats Chase House Votes,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/3/10)

Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY) Said It Would Take “Dramatic Changes” For Him To Support Obama’s Bill. “[H]e says he's almost certain to vote no on the Senate bill when it comes up for a vote in the House later this month… ‘There would have to be some dramatic changes in it for me to change my position,’ Arcuri said.” (Brian Beutler, “For It Before He Was Against It: Arcuri Will Likely Vote No On Health Care,” Talking Points Memo’s “TPMDC” Blog, 3/3/10)

• Rep. Arcuri: “What I Have Seen So Far, I Don’t Like The Bill… I Don’t See How The Senate Bill Will Do The Kind Of Things I Want To Do With Health Care. It’s Not What I’m Going To Support At This Point.” (Carrie Budoff Brown, “W.H. Warns Dems: Don't Flip-Flop,” Politico, 3/3/10)

Rep. Larry Kissell (D-): “I Continue To Believe Health Care Reform Is Necessary. … However, My Position Has Not Changed On The Health Care Reform Proposal Currently Before Congress.” (Jim Morrill, “Kissell Faces Pressure On Health Care,” The Charlotte Observer, 3/3/10)

Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD) Will Oppose The Senate Bill. “Rep Frank Kratovil of Maryland, a previous No vote who was now said to be undecided, will vote No on the Senate health reform proposal, his spokesman confirms. ‘He would vote against it,’ the spokesman, Kevin Lawlor, says. Crucially, Kratovil would vote against the Senate bill even if there’s some kind of verbal guarantee that it would be fixed via reconciliation later, Lawlor says.” (Greg Sargent, “Another House Dem A ‘No’ On Senate Bill; A Previous ‘Yes’ Now Undecided,” The Plum Line, 3/4/10)

Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) Prefers Incremental Reform Too. “Mr. Skelton says he does not see any improvements in the measure that would cause him to vote in favor of it; like Mr. Kratovil, he favors a smaller, less ambitious bill. ‘It would be a lot easier,’ he said, ‘if we cut this back to basics — take two or three or four issues on which everyone agrees and build on it.’” (Sheryl Gay Stolberg & Robert Pear, “Wary Centrists Posing Challenge In Health Care Vote,” The New York Times, 2/27/10) 

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) Leaves The Door Open For A “No” Vote. “First-term Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly acknowledged that the bill he will have to vote on represents what he called ‘the last best chance, and I’m very aware of that, very, very aware of that. So I certainly feel that burden.’ ‘Could I have a different vote on this bill than I had on the previous one? Absolutely,’ said Connolly, who voted for the initial House bill.” (Carrie Budoff Brown, “W.H. Warns Dems: Don't Flip-Flop,” Politico, 3/3/10)