WH: Obama to get more directly involved in health care talks

[jefferson_dem]

WH: Obama to get more directly involved in health care talks
Posted: 03:46 PM ET

From CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux

President Obama will be more directly involved in health care talks, the White House said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — On the eve of his fourth prime-time news conference, President Barack Obama was working the phones, calling lawmakers involved in the health care talks to push them to embrace reform, White House Communications Director Anita Dunn said Wednesday.

It follows the president's Tuesday meeting with Democrats at the White House, dubbed a "serious working session" where "major progress" was made, Dunn said.

Senior administration officials said the president will not meet with lawmakers Wednesday but was temporarily shifting focus to the discussions with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki, the joint news conference with him, and then the prime-time news conference Wednesday. Obama was talking with his advisors and staff throughout the day regarding any updates from Capitol Hill on the state of play in the health care debate.

Aides said the president's opening statement at the news conference will be approximately seven minutes long. It will focus primarily on health care, but also will be a "report card" on the administration's accomplishments during the first six months, and where the administration needs to go, aides said. The president was still tinkering with the speech at mid-afternoon, but aides said there were no "holes" in it as such, to put in news of any anticipated legislative "breakthroughs" from Congress.

Officials said Obama will be taking a more hands on approach with members of Congress in the days and weeks to come regarding the health care debate.

Tuesday, House Energy and Commerce Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman of California and six other committee members met at the White House for more than two hours — and during one hour the president was with them, aides said.

During that meeting the six so-called Blue Dog Democrats gave their list of ten demands on how they want the bill changed, including ways to cut costs, according to aides.

Some argued that the Medicare advisory council, which advises Congress in setting rates for reimbursement to medical providers under the Medicare program, should be empowered to make changes in cost-related issues. White House aides said they want the panel to be empowered to make cuts in benefits and increases in premiums, and to force those changes, unless Congress rejects.

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http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/22/wh-obama-to-get-more-directly-involved-in-health-care-talks/

[Bankhead_ATL]

1. yeah

[HopeOverFear]

2. Right on!

[Autumn]

3. Good . He is the only one

who can sell this to Americans.

[Thrill]

4. He needs to start taking control of his party. Get tough on their asses

Stop letting the Blue Dogs dictate his agenda.

[8 track mind]

5. Is it ok if

I say that i am truly proud of our president?

[Captain Hilts]

6. I'm pleased to read this. The process has floundered. nt