Dems To White House: Enough With The Health Care Timelines Already

[bigtree]

from TPM: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/dems-to-white-house-enough-with-the-health-care-timelines-already.php


March 9, 2010, 8:09PM

Congressional Democrats are under increasing pressure to finish up health care reform, but they've had enough of the White House dictating deadlines to them. And at a bicameral leadership meeting this afternoon--attended by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and other administration officials--they made that very clear.

"I was at a meeting with Rahm Emanuel and he was certainly informed that we don't feel that we want any deadline assigned to us," House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman told a few reporters outside of a Democratic caucus meeting this evening. "We want to pass the bill, we want to make sure it's the way it should be, and soon as possible, but we don't feel that we have to have any particular deadline."

I asked Waxman how Emanuel reacted to the pushback?

"He said he would pass it on," Waxman said with a smirk.

Emerging from the bicameral meeting, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin described deadlines as "a blessing and a curse."

If it wasn't already clear to the Obama administration that the pressure was unwelcome, it is now.

read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/dems-to-white-house-enough-with-the-health-care-timelines-already.php

_________________________

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and the White House on Tuesday engaged in a rare public dispute over when healthcare reform will be voted on.

Hoyer on Tuesday morning suggested the March 18 deadline recently set by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was not endorsed by congressional leaders.

“None of us have mentioned the 18th other than Mr. Gibbs,” Hoyer told reporters when asked if March 18 was still a “viable” date for the House to vote on the Senate bill, a package of legislative fixes and a possible third item dealing with abortion language.

Gibbs didn’t back down Tuesday afternoon, saying there “seems to be a disconnect” between Congress and the White House before stopping himself to add, “This was information I was given based on conversations that people had in this building with Capitol Hill.”

He also said, “I’ve been given nothing that would change that advice that I was given last week.”

Gibbs, a former Senate aide, first threw down the March 18 deadline last week, citing President Barack Obama’s desire to sign healthcare legislation prior to an overseas trip he is scheduled to begin that day.

“Our objective is to pass both healthcare and the 2010 budget before the Easter break,” Hoyer said. “Is that going to be difficult? Yes. Is it a deadline? No.

“If we can, we can. If we can’t, we can’t,” Hoyer added. “We will continue to pursue both items.”

read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/85825-disconnect-gibbs-hoyer-dispute-vote

[Jennicut]

1. Gee, they only had all year. Get it together already.

[bigtree]

4. I think I'd rather they take their time

. . . and work through the reconciliation process deliberately, but carefully. I don't want the type of pressure we saw before Christmas. That's artificial, unnecessary, and unhelpful.

[sandnsea]

2. So your position is Obama showed no leadership

for the entire last year - but then when he does show leadership, he's an asshole and exhibiting unwelcome pressure.

Is that it?

[Better Believe It]

5. He should demonstrate leadership in fighting for a strong public option and against taxing health

benefits for starters.

Any chance that will happen anytime soon?

[sandnsea]

10. Congress is clearly writing the bill

And they very clearly do not want any "unwelcome pressure" from the White House. So why don't you put your two cents where it belongs, the way many of us have said all along.

[Better Believe It]

16. The Senate has written the bill that Obama pretty much wanted.

There was no pressure on the Senators who wrote the bill! All of the White House pressure has been on members of the House who wanted a strong bill!

Now the White House is trying to strong arm House progessives into voting for the Senate bill with no changes!

Oh .... they do say that the Senate may include some modest fixes in a Senate reconciliation bill .... if they can get the Senate votes. But, President Obama says the vote are not even there to pass a modest and weak public option!

The only thing trusting progressives might see in a Senate reconciliation bill is a right-wing "Republican" fix like "tort reform"!

[bigtree]

9. who are you talking to?

They're talking about arbitrary, politically-driven deadlines, like the pressure we saw last year to just pass anything (it seemed). Leadership is fine, but the president is just one voice in this process (albeit, a big one). I'm comfortable letting our Democratic legislators work this process in their own time, now that they're acting like a majority again.

[AlinPA]

13. I don't think they are acting like a majority. The republicans are acting like a majority. nt

[bigtree]

14. well,

. . . it looks like they're considering acting like one on this legislation.

[AlinPA]

15. Let's hope so.

[bluestateguy]

3. First they bitch about the White House not being involved enough

then--Oh, never mind.

[Better Believe It]

7. Not true. Just involved in the wrong way. For example, President Obama cutting a backdoor deal

with the insurance industry and big Pharma in order to get their legislation passed.

[rug]

6. Hurry up and finish it. He's got his speech ready.

[Uncle Joe]

8. It's easy, just expand Medicare to every American from the cradle to the grave, either all at once

or rapidly phase it in.

Raise taxes on the mega wealthy and phase for profit "health" insurance corporate employees in to the expanded Medicare bureaucracy or subsidize their training and placement toward sustainable green based jobs.

Thanks for the thread, bigtree.

[FrenchieCat]

11. soooooo?

Republicans want Democrats fighting each other!

Guess there are Dems everywhere willing to help them out!

[bigtree]

12. Congress asking for room to breathe

I'm inclined to agree with the folks who are cited here with their concerns - at least now that the party is considering their majority in Congress in a new light with respect to this legislation.