White House Will Try To Pull Health Care Bill Closer To House's Version

[laughingliberal]

The White House will play an active role in moving health care legislation closer to the House's version once a bill passes the Senate and goes to conference committee between the two chambers, administration officials said on Thursday. But while much of the progressive community is hoping for a renewed push to expand the government's role in providing insurance, the president will likely focus on other priorities.

White House health care czar Nancy-Ann DeParle told a conference call of progressive bloggers that there "are some things I'd like to improve" in the Senate's health care bill once legislators merge it with the House's legislation. The primary objective for the administration is to adopt the House's language on making insurance more affordable (which is more generous than the Senate's), she explained.

"I'd like to make some more changes there and move a little bit more towards the House bill," DeParle said. "So we'll see, I don't know what we'll be able to do there. But I know we talk daily to our friends and colleagues in the House who are just as anxious to get this done."

The White House also has its eyes on legislative language in the Senate bill that -- in the near term -- limits the amount of money private insurance companies can pay on medical coverage annually.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/18/white-house-will-try-to-p_n_397022.html

Huh, I had not heard this. Maybe I just missed it. No chance of getting PO back in but is there a chance they can mitigate some of the worst of the Senate bill? Not sure I can take much more 'hope.' What say you, DU political experts?

[regnaD kciN]

1. I read this yesterday...

I'm sure they won't be able to get the public option back (and, let's be fair, the "public option" that would have emerged from even the House bill would have been relatively weak), but there are some things that could be improved by using the House version (and others that would make it worse, such as eliminating the "over 8%" exemption from mandate penalties). The main thing I got from this is that there are no plans to try to "ping-pong" the Senate bill straight through the House, bypassing the conference committee entirely.

[laughingliberal]

3. Yes. Would not be pleased with that ping pong idea at all.

Further down in the story I saw the unions are gonna push hard to get that tax on 'cadillac' plans deep sixed in favor of tax on the wealthy. That would be better. Tax the rich. There's the part we could build on! lol

[Hekate]

2. More info here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x71246
http://crooksandliars.com/node/33576

[Kind of Blue]

5. Thanks for the link, Hekate. It's good to

see a more seemingly balanced opinion, especially from a critic.

[ima_sinnic]

4. I don't expect much besides window dressing

the insurance and pharmaceutical bloodsuckers have nothing to fear; forced obeisance and perpetual debt by the masses to them has already been bought and paid for.

[lostnfound]

6. I'll believe it when I see it.

This last week has been devastating to any shred of hope I might have kept burning. I think this is another corporate con game. I hope I am wrong.

[Toots]

7. Listen to the wind blow....

:shrug: I am coming to the point where I no longer believe anything from this Whitehouse..

[Laelth]

8. It won't pass in the Senate if it gets closer to the House bill. They know that.

That is just rhetoric designed to shut up the left. We're angry, and they've finally figured that out, but there's no way the House bill could pass in the Senate, and they know it.

President Obama said: “That’s why any plan I sign must include an insurance exchange — a one-stop shopping marketplace where you can compare the benefits, costs and track records of a variety of plans, including a public option to increase competition and keep insurance companies honest, and choose what’s best for your family.”

http://uppitywoman08.wordpress.com/2009/09/07/any-bill-i-sign-must-include-a-public-option-but-not-really-because-i-lie-a-lot-in-case-you-havent-noticed/

It's obvious that a PO can't pass and won't pass in the Senate. The President has radically scaled back his ambitions for this bill. At this point he just wants a bill to pass, any bill, and he doesn't seem to care how bad it will be for the Democratic Party or for the American people. This is unacceptable.

Kill the bill!

:dem:

-Laelth

[Kansas Wyatt]

9. Oh BULLSHIT!

More like Obama will pull the House HCR bill closer to the Senate's alleged HCR bill.