Progressives and Blue Dogs reach deal on health care

[SpartanDem]

Liberal and conservative Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce panel struck a late-night deal Friday that will allow them to move a sweeping health care bill out of the committee after a two-week deadlock that put its fate in serious doubt.

Blue Dog Democrats on the committee, the linchpin in the House health care debate, agreed to allow their liberal colleagues to cut billions from existing government-funded health care programs in order to restore some $50 billion to $65 billion in subsidies set aside in the bill to help middle-income families purchase coverage.

This final agreement should clear the way for committee passage later today. Energy and Commerce is the last of the three House committees to consider the bill, so passage will put the package in the hands of party leaders for a titanic fight when Congress returns in the fall over the government's role in health care.


"We've agreed we need to pull together," Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) told reporters shortly before he resumed committee debate over the bill.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25661.html#ixzz0MqqzsuRp



Waxman: Health Care Bill Still On Track
By Brian Beutler - July 31, 2009, 11:11AM
Just as a bit of an update, since there have been so many ups and downs, House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) says health care legislation is still on track to pass his panel, probably before day's end.

Waxman says he's managed to mollify progressives on his panel by restoring some subsidies to uninsured, middle-class Americans who, under the terms of the bill, will have to buy health care on the individual market. At a glance, this mini-bargain doesn't seem as if it will placate the 57 progressive signatories to this letter, who say they won't vote for the final bill unless minor changes to the public option, made at the behest of House Blue Dogs, are reversed.

But I'll look into it.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/waxman-health-care-bill-still-on-track.php?ref=fpb


I think this highlights that for as annoying the blue dogs can be at times you can reach a deal with them and why you don't go the GOP route and primary out every moderate in the party.

[annabanana]

1. Since this is politico. . Does anyone here know what REALLY happened?

Any link from them just tells me there's some story there..and it isn't accurately reflected by politico.

[Dinger]

6. + 1

[redqueen]

2. As much as we may or may not agree with them...

it's their constituents who get to make the call on whether these people are doing a good job of representing them. As for this issue, polls seem to indicate that they are not, so... it's the Blue Dogs' risk to take.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Lousy deal.

Pay for doctors in the public option won't be linked to Medicare, and so there is no reason to expect premiums to be much lower than private insurance, which means skyrocketing premiums will continue.

[debbierlus]

12. It is an outrage - It still reduces the Public Option to a meaningless political gesture

[Hutzpa]

4. Wait a minute......

according to the article;

Liberal and conservative Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce panel struck a late-night deal Friday that will allow them to move a sweeping health care bill out of the committee after a two-week deadlock that put its fate in serious doubt.

They struck a late night deal on Friday? what time is it now???? I thought its almost lunch time,
so...is this article projecting for something that hasn't happened yet?

Just wondering.....:shrug:

[annabanana]

7. nice catch... maybe they're preparing the narrative for "catapulting"

AS we know, establishing "the narrative" is the most important job of corpomedia.

[Hutzpa]

11. In other words this has not happened yet

but are putting the narrative out there to influence perception.

:wow:



:banghead:

[tularetom]

5. Cut billions from existing government programs?

Gut medicare to provide subsidies for middle class people's premiums?

Rob Peter to pay Paul?

Fuck these goddamn blue bitches. I don't mind paying slightly higher taxes for universal health care.

Or better yet take the $50 to $65 billion from the defense budget and raise taxes on corporations and bazillionaires and give the rest of us a tax cut.

[debbierlus]

9. This is gross. Take the money away from the POOR to give to the better off

And, the provisions for taxing the wealthy flew completely out the window.

I feel sick.

[Laelth]

8. Vomit. That's still not acceptable.

11% of gross income is too much to expect the uninsured to pay. It's not significantly better than the 12% the Blue Dogs wanted.

And caving on Medicare + 5%? Why?

I think the article overstates the agreement. The Progressive Caucus has declared that, at a minimum, Medicare + 5% must stay.

:dem:

-Laelth

[SpartanDem]

10. As has been point before that is a cap

that doesn't mean everyone in that income range will pay the full amount

[Laelth]

13. A cap, yes.

That means it's sort-of-good for those who make over 300% or 400% of poverty because their costs are "capped."

It actually hurts those making between 133% of poverty and the "cap."

It's a bad idea, no matter how you carve it or justify it. For most of the uninsured, we lack insurance because we can't afford it. Forcing us to buy insurance could spell disaster for the Democratic Party unless it is heavily, heavily subsidized (and it's not adequately in HB 3200, imho). The actual, final subsidies are likely to be even worse in the reconciled bill.

I am not optimistic regarding this legislation.

:dem:

-Laelth