Obama, Congressional Dems Near Health Care Accord

[steven johnson]

Source: Associated Press


WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama and top congressional Democrats closed in on agreement Friday on cost and coverage issues at the heart of sweeping health care legislation, their marathon White House bargaining sessions given fresh urgency by an unpredictable Massachusetts Senate race.

Negotiators are ''pretty close,'' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said after returning to the Capitol in late afternoon.

A White House statement said there are ''no final agreements and no overall package.'' But no further meetings were scheduled, and Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., the third-ranking House Democrat, said, ''Something should be going to CBO very soon,'' indicating that aides were drafting the decisions made around the table in the White House Cabinet Room. The Congressional Budget Office is the official arbiter of the cost and extent of coverage that any legislation would provide.

One key obstacle appeared on its way to a resolution when Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., requested the elimination of an intensely controversial, one-of-a-kind federal subsidy to cover the entire cost of a Medicaid expansion in his home state.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/16/us/politics/AP-US-Health-Care-Overhaul.html?_r=1

[stuart68]

1. Hurry up !

someone might actually get to see what we're workign on !!!

Hope and Change baby. Didn't know that meant "just sit there and be quite", "because I said so..."

[fasttense]

3. As if you RepubliCONS and Tea-baggers have the answers

If RepubliCONS had not destroyed this country, President Obama wouldn't have to be cleaning up their mess right now.

The party of NO has a new slogan direct from the Tea-baggers: Ignorance you can believe in.

[stuart68]

5. Why do you continue to compare

to the right - does it make you feel better that he is not keeping the most basic promises ? There is an old saying - don't tell me about the pain, just show me the baby. The FACT it was so bad should be the REASON he could turn things on a dime. If things were left OK, then change is very difficult.

The bank thing is easy. For companies receiving TARP (whether or not they paid it back) 75% tax on bonuses, retro to 1/1/09 (they should not have received bonuses last year). DONE. Next topic.

I am just tired of people trying to convince me that we should be happy because this is better. How much dog-poop is acceptable in the stew. My opinion - none.

[placton]

2. watch

as Hopey McChange delivers change that sucks and is worse than the status quo

[fasttense]

4. Worse than the Status Quo? Really? You have got to be kidding.

The status quo is dick and the bush. The status quo is Paulson and the bush crying the sky is falling so congress will pass TARP withOUT restrictions. The Status Quo is morons like empty headed Palin. The status quo is RepubliCONS who f**k you every chance they get and you Tea baggers come crawling back for more.

I'll take a President Obama over idiots any day. Because if RepubliCONS have their way our slogan will be: Ignorance you can believe in.

[stuart68]

6. come on folks - think

free bread for all, when you have to wait in line (and the bankers get it delivered) is not good !

[Mari333]

7. health insurance stocks, buy your health insurance company stocks here

cause they are about to have a windfall baby

[PSPS]

8. Delightful. Now Obama is twisting dem arms on behalf of the republicans.

[No Elephants]

9. If they want to guaranty this will get done, they better do it fast, in case Coakley loses.

The vote is Tuesday. My understanding is that certifying the vote normally takes ten days.