Research Briefing

Reid Wrote Obama’s Health Care Experiment In Secret, Now He’s Upset That The Senators He Shunned Don’t Like It

“Senate Republicans Are Like The Girl That Gave Harry Reid The Cold Shoulder In High School, The [Senate] Majority Leader [Harry Reid (D-NV)] Said Today… ‘It’s Like When I Was In High School, I Wanted To Dance But She Wouldn’t Get Up. OK?’” (Eric Zimmermann, “Reid: GOP Is Like A Girl Who Won’t Dance,” The Hill, 10/27/09)

BUT REID ENJOYED HIS TIME ALONE WITH RAHM

Reid And Rahm Emanuel Huddled “ Behind Closed Doors” To Write Final Version Of Their Health Care Experiment. “White House officials and Senate Democrats are meeting in private to iron out differences on a health care overhaul that could affect every American... The inside game and the outside game are intersecting on Capitol Hill, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid testifying at a public hearing in favor of revoking health insurers’ antitrust exemption -- then huddling behind closed doors with White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and committee chairmen to finalize the bill.” (Erica Werner, “Democrats Work To Finalize Health Legislation,” The Associated Press, 10/15/09)

REID SPURNED SNOWE, SO SHE RETURNED THE FAVOR

“Baucus And The White House Wooed [Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)] For Months” But Reid Ignored Her. “One thing is for sure, however: Olympia Snowe (R), whom Baucus and the White House wooed for months, isn’t a fan of Reid’s move. ‘It’s unfortunate the Senate majority leader decided to take a different path,’ Snowe said outside her office yesterday, per NBC’s Ken Strickland. ‘He did say it was a pretty good dog-gone good idea with respect to “the trigger” in September. So I don’t know what exactly has happened to change his mind.’ Here’s the standard line we heard from the White House yesterday: They have lost Snowe today. But it’s holding out hope she’s open-minded tomorrow.” (Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg, “First Thoughts: Public Option Or Bust,” MSNBC’s “First Read” Blog, 10/27/09)

Snowe “Deeply Disappointed” Senate Dems’ Bill Includes Government-Run Health Insurance. “I am deeply disappointed with the Majority Leader’s decision to include a public option as the focus of the legislation. I still believe that a fallback, safety net plan, to be triggered and available immediately in states where insurance companies fail to offer plans that meet the standards of affordability, could have been the road toward achieving a broader bipartisan consensus in the Senate.” (Sen. Olympia Snowe, “Snowe Comments On Majority Leader’s Decision To Include Public Option In Health Care Reform Bill,” Press Release, 10/26/09)

And Will Vote To Block The Current Bill. “Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe says she would vote with fellow Republicans to block the Democratic health care overhaul if changes are not made to the version Majority Leader Harry Reid outlined this week.” (“Snowe Would Vote To Block Reid’s Health Care Bill,” The Associated Press, 10/27/09)

AFTER REJECTING REPUBLICANS, REID SNUBBED INDEPENDENT-MINDED DEM LIEBERMAN, WHO THEN PUT HIS FOOT DOWN

Reid Dismissive Of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT). “‘Joe Lieberman is the least of Harry Reid’s problems,’ Reid told reporters at his weekly press conference.” (Brian Beutler, “Reid: Lieberman Is The Least Of My Problems,” TalkingPointsMemo’s “TPMDC” Blog, 10/27/09)

But Lieberman Reinforces His Opposition To Government-Run Health Insurance.  “Lieberman did say he’s ‘strongly inclined’ to vote to proceed to the debate, but that he’ll ultimately vote to block a floor vote on the bill if it isn’t changed first. ’I’ve told Sen. Reid that if the bill stays as it is now I will vote against cloture,’ he said.” (Manu Raju, “Lieberman Says He’ll Filibuster Reid Plan,” Politico, 10/27/09)

And Says It’s Too Much, Too Fast. “‘We’re trying to do too much at once,’ Lieberman said. ‘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.’ Lieberman added that he’d vote against a public option plan ‘even with an opt-out because it still creates a whole new government entitlement program for which taxpayers will be on the line.’” (Manu Raju, “Lieberman Says He’ll Filibuster Reid Plan,” Politico, 10/27/09)

AND REID’S SNUBBING CONTINUED WITH OTHER FELLOW DEMOCRATS

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) Opposes Government-Run Health Insurance In Reid’s Bill. “U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., said Tuesday she still can't support a government-funded insurance option, a day after legislation was unveiled that would give states the choice of whether to participate in the program.” (Andrew DeMillo, “Ark. Senator Says She Still Opposes Public Option,” The Associated Press, 10/27/09)

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) “Skeptical About What Senator Reid Has Proposed …” (Shailagh Murray, Ben Pershing & Lori Montgomery, “Moderate Democrats Challenge Reid On Public Option,” The Washington Post, 10/27/09)

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) Says “It’s A Deal-Breaker For Me If There’s A Government-Run Plan To Replace Existing Insurance Plans.” (Don Walton, “Nelson Open To Public Role In Health Reform,” Lincoln Journal Star [NE], 5/31/09)

MAYBE IF PROCESS WAS TRANSPARENT AND BIPARTISAN AS PROMISED, REID WOULDN’T BE REJECTED

Obama Promised Transparency For Health Care Debate, With “ Negotiations Televised On C-SPAN.” “I’m going to have all the negotiations around a big table. We’ll have doctors and nurses and hospital administrators. Insurance companies, drug companies -- they’ll get a seat at the table, they just won’t be able to buy every chair. But what we will do is, we’ll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents, and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies. And so, that approach, I think is what is going to allow people to stay involved in this process.” (Barack Obama, Remarks At A Town Hall Meeting, Chester, VA, 8/21/08)

• But Obama Aides Hid In Reid’s Office To Write Final Version Of Government-Run Health Care Experiment. “It’s the invite that every senator with an opinion on health care wants to get: a reserved seat at the conference table where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will merge two competing reform bills. But most of them won’t get in. Reid’s guest list will be an exclusive one ... The merger, which will unfold across Reid’s suite of offices, should take a week, sources said. White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, White House Director of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle and perhaps budget director Peter Orszag will represent the president, sources said.” (Carrie Budoff Brown, "Members Jockey For Seat At Reid’s Table," Politico, 10/7/09)

Obama Promised To Seek Common Ground, Keep His Door Open. “I will continue to seek common ground in the weeks ahead.  If you come to me with a serious set of proposals, I will be there to listen.  My door is always open.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On Health Care, Washington, DC, 9/9/09)

• But GOP Hasn’t Been Invited To The White House To Discuss Health Care Since The End Of April, Despite Requests. “Boehner told reporters that the president has not invited House GOP leaders to the White House for meetings on healthcare reform since the end of April. Earlier this year, GOP leaders sent a letter to the president in May stating that they would like to work with the administ ration to find ‘common ground’ on healthcare reform. But the administration responded with a tersely worded letter indicating that they had healthcare reform under control.” (Molly Hooper, "Boehner: GOP Leaders Haven’t Met Obama For Health Talks Since April," The Hill’s "Briefing Room" Blog, 9/9/09)