Two key House Dems dispute Pelosi's health care assessment
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Indiana Democrat Baron Hill, a Blue Dog congressman negotiating with leaders on health care, disagreed with Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statement Wednesday that Democrats have the votes to pass health care in the House.
"I think the Speaker was well intended because she was hearing optimistic things, but I don't believe there are the votes on the floor as of right now," he said Wednesday.
Hill said he and other Blue Dogs were meeting again Wednesday night with Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman. Hill said they're "making progress," but still have significant issues to resolve. Nancy Ann DeParle from the White House was involved in an earlier meeting with Blue Dogs, he said.
Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, who is trying to change the bill to make it clear it would not use taxpayer money for abortions, also disagreed with the Speaker.
"It would be easier to fit a camel through the eye of a needle than to pass this bill," said Stupak.
Stupak said Democratic leaders can't lose 40 votes if they want to pass the bill and predicted "she [Pelosi] would lose more than 40 on the right to life issue alone. There's just no way."
Stupak said he doesn't want to block the bill, but wants leaders to agree to add language on the abortion issue before it comes to the House floor.
@Ron- In case you didn't notice, outrage over the expensive war you cite elected the least experienced President in modern times. As for the several above commenters above who say "something has to be done about health care"-you're right. But that doesn't mean that the Obama / liberal single payer business is the solution. Keep squealing, though, and you'll prob get your wY.
If you think you pay a lot for health care now...Wait until it's FREE!!
Is anyone going to address the COST of health care instead of who's
now going to pay for the same thing. Why does it cost $ 35.00 for 2
asprins in a hospital ? Is it the drug mfg's, the insurance red tape, the
health care facility or all of the above. I understand fair profit. Maybe to many hands in the pot. We've had congressional hearings on the price of gas to major league baseball players drug use. But our
and our childrens health care future must be decided now, real quick
without discussion. Stop. Time out guys.
yes, the health care system needs to be reformed. But Obamacare is not the reform that we need. 1) we need to limit the stupid malpractice lawsuits with outrageous payouts. If we put a maximum amount on lawsuit payouts then the malpractice insurance costs will stop rising and doctors costs will stop rising. and the savings will be passed onto the patients. 2) we only need to insure the 15 poor Americans who lack insurance, which will only cost 75 Billion dollars per year. (By the way, if you remove the illegal immigrants and the high wage earners who refuse to buy insurance, then there are only 15 million uninsured.) CONGRESS IS THROWING OUT THE BEST HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN THE WORLD BECAUSE 5% OF AMERICANS CAN NOT AFFORD INSURANCE!!! ABSURD!!!
Obamacare is going to screw the middle class. Most companies will stop offering private insurance and the middle class will be forced onto the government plan. The middle class government-run health care will be rationed by the government. The rich will just fly to some exotic country and get their healthcare in a foreign country. BUT THE MIDDLE CLASS WILL BE STUCK USING THE CRAPPY GOVERNMENT PLAN!!! The middle class is always screwed. The poor are always handed free stuff, the rich get bailouts all of the time, but the middle class are constantly screwed.
Blue dogs, get your priorities straight. If you can't get behind health care reform, then just call yourselves Republicans, because that's what you are. Pathetic.
I want to see the main points of this bill they are considering. All we hear about is " WE will have a bill soon." How can we share our views with the very folks we elected to represent US if the keep this a closed club.
I don't even know the problems they are striving to address other than cost. We have choice, and control the deceisons about our health and the caring of it.
Do we want to be like Canada where a friends mother had to wait three months to see a doctor about a lump in her breast? That's the health care we are headed for if we let the government control it.
If it wasn't so important this would almost be laughable. I could have sworn that Democrats always tout themselves as the party of choice. However, with this plan, I have no choice. It's either buy insurance or pay a fine. What kind of choice is that?
Anyone who believes health care is Obama's priority is in for a huge surprise. He could care less about you having health care - UNLESS it is government controlled. That is not hard to see. NOW ask yourself why government cortrol is his main priority.
Tou GO NANCY keep up the reckless spending and backing that idiot president of yours and not just you but all of congress will be out on the street. this crap about enery reform socialized medicine and everything else you want to pass will be your downfall. HA HA americans see your just trying to break the bank so you can own everything. Why dont you do this country a favor and clean up congress. You cant even stop the corruption in your own house and you wanna clean up ours. How many millions or billions went to lobby(buy or bribe) congress last year alone. You all are are hypocrits in the worst form.
Then call the vote Mrs. Pelosi...........and let's see you and the rest of your government trough mentality for health care go down in flames................a Hillary dejavu..................
For the time being we are free. Where else in this world can a person walk into a hospitel and get treatment if u have monye or not. Yet alone insurance. Put a cap on malpractice suits. that will bring down what a Doc. has to charge. close the loop holes in Medicaid that will inable a mill. more peps. to get free insurace. AND LEAVE MY TAXS ALONE!!!!!!