Baucus Moving on Health Care Without GOP Support
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 9:49 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Caught off guard, congressional Democrats are grappling with President Barack Obama's unexpected call for immediate access to insurance for those with pre-existing medical conditions, as well as richer Medicare drug benefits than envisioned in early versions of health care legislation.
Additionally, Obama's pledge in last week's prime-time speech to hold the overall cost of legislation to about $900 billion over a decade has spread concern among House Democrats, who have long contemplated a costlier measure.
Yet another late complication, according to several Democrats, is the president's statement that he will not sign a bill ''if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period. And to prove that I'm serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised don't materialize.''
The $900 billion target is ''very difficult,'' Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said Tuesday. ''This is reducing coverage for poor and working people.''
(More here.)
Filed at 9:49 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Caught off guard, congressional Democrats are grappling with President Barack Obama's unexpected call for immediate access to insurance for those with pre-existing medical conditions, as well as richer Medicare drug benefits than envisioned in early versions of health care legislation.
Additionally, Obama's pledge in last week's prime-time speech to hold the overall cost of legislation to about $900 billion over a decade has spread concern among House Democrats, who have long contemplated a costlier measure.
Yet another late complication, according to several Democrats, is the president's statement that he will not sign a bill ''if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period. And to prove that I'm serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised don't materialize.''
The $900 billion target is ''very difficult,'' Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said Tuesday. ''This is reducing coverage for poor and working people.''
(More here.)
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