Research Briefing

Will House Dems Vote With Pelosi Again On Health Care Without Their Special Deals?

PELOSI NEEDED SWEETENERS TO GET VOTES FOR INITIAL PASSAGE

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Made Last Minute Deals With Fence-Sitting Dems, Attempting To Round Up More Votes For Her Health Care Experiment. “Indiana Rep. Baron Hill, one of the many Democrats still on the fence, said Friday that leadership has assured him they will reduce the 2.5 percent tax on medical device manufacturers. The House raised $20 billion through a tax on the manufacturers of medical devices, from pacemakers to X-ray machines. Hill remains on the fence until leaders add language being crafted by fellow Indiana Rep. Brad Ellsworth to clarify a restriction on federal funding for abortion.” (Patrick O’Connor, “Making Deals, Getting Votes,” Politico’s “Live Pulse” Blog, 11/6/09)

• Which Is Par For The Course In Pelosi’s House, With Billions Of Dollars Handed Out In The Final Minutes Before The Cap And Trade Vote. “The deal making continued right up until the final minutes, with the bill’s co-author Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California, doling out billions of dollars in promises on the House floor to secure the final votes needed for passage.” (John M. Broder, "With Something For Everyone, Climate Bill Passed," The New York Times, 6/30/09)

BUT OBAMA IS PLEDGING TO GET RID OF ALL OF THE BACKROOM DEALS

Obama Trying To “Cleanse” Deals. “It is clear that priority number one for the White House health reform summit is to cleanse the health reform legislation process in the eyes of Americans who soured on the process and became convinced that the House and Senate bills were behind closed doors with special treatment for certain lawmakers. High up on the list of President Obama’s proposed fix-its is removing special treatment for Nebraska in paying for an expansion of Medicaid.” (Zachary B. Wolf, “White House Cuts Special Help For Nebraska, But Other Deals Remain In Reform Bill,” ABC News’s “The Note” Blog, 2/22/10)

• Obama Said He Believed Special Deals Were Reason Americans “Soured” On Bills. President Obama: "The public has soured on the process that they saw over the past year.  I think that actually contaminates how they view the substance of the bills." (Carrie Budoff Brown, Obama: No 'Political Theater,'" Politico's "Live Pulse" Blog, 2/9/10)

SO WILL THESE DEMS STAY ON BOARD WITHOUT THEM?

Reps Baron Hill (D-IN) And Dan Maffei (D-NY) Got Promises About The Medical Device Tax. “Reps. Baron Hill of Indiana and Dan Maffei of New York were among a clutch of junior members who clamored for a promise that Democratic leaders would work to reduce a 2.5 percent tax on medical device manufacturers. Done.” (Jonathan Allen & Patrick O’Connor, “Deal Makers Pushed Limits,” Politico, 11/10/10) 

California Reps. Dennis Cardoza And Jim Costa Needed Earmarks And Other Funding Provisions For Their Area. “Reps. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) and Dennis Cardoza (D-Merced) were both seen as possible holdouts in supporting the bill... But both voted in favor of the legislation, highlighting its benefits for the San Joaquin Valley, including more physicians for the region. In a statement, Costa said he successfully negotiated funding for a UC Merced medical school. ‘I am voting for HR 3962 because the choice of doing nothing was not an option. During my negotiations to help improve the bill for our Valley, I was able to achieve funding for a medical school in the Valley, with studies at UC Merced and residency in Fresno, as well as additional incentives to bring health professionals to our Valley…’ Cardoza said the bill directs $167 million in health care funding to hospitals in his 18th district alone.” (Gabriel Dillard, “Health Bill Includes Valley Med School,” The Business Journal, 11/9/09)

Reps. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA) Wanted 27 Year Olds Added To Their Parents’ Plans. “Two first-year members, Kathy Dahlkemper of Pennsylvania and Larry Kissell of North Carolina, asked Pelosi to allow unmarried adults under the age of 27 to secure coverage under their parents' plans. Done.” (Jonathan Allen & Patrick O’Connor, “Deal Makers Pushed Limits,” Politico, 11/10/10)

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) Wanted Special Treatment For Her District. “And Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) had serious doubts with key parts of the bill, but wanted a promise from leadership that they would be addressed in the House-Senate conference… She pressed for concessions on several issues, including her effort to win a grandfather clause for a health insurance exchange in her native Orange County, Calif., that would be obviated by the House version of the health care bill.” (Jonathan Allen & Patrick O’Connor, “Deal Makers Pushed Limits,” Politico, 11/10/10)