Key Republicans bail on ‘Obama-care’; Dems’ options narrow

By Linda Feldmann
Christian Science Monitor (Part 1 of 2)
August 31, 2009 edition

Washington

As key Republicans grow increasingly hostile to President Obama’s plans for healthcare reform, the Democrats are edging toward a go-it-alone approach to legislation.

In the Senate, where normal rules require 60 votes out of 100 to halt a filibuster, the Democrats’ hopes of passing a bill that way are hanging by a thread. The death of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D) of Massachusetts means the party is down to 59 votes in the Senate. It’s still possible a Republican or two could be persuaded to vote with them, but they would still need to hold onto the more conservative Democrats in their caucus, and that’s not a sure thing.

It’s also possible the Massachusetts legislature will change state law and allow the Democratic governor to appoint an interim senator to fill Senator Kennedy’s seat until a replacement can be elected on Jan. 19. That would restore the Democrats’ 60-vote majority, but the issue of holding onto the party’s moderates would remain.

In recent days, two key Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee have made that panel’s bipartisan efforts toward reform look increasingly dubious. An August fundraising letter by Sen. Charles Grassley (R) of Iowa, which has just entered Washington’s radar, asks for support in helping him defeat “Obama-care.” He likens that to the more liberal versions of reform that have passed panels in the House and Senate, not what he has been working on in his committee. But the language in his letter is so harsh that it seems close to shutting the door on negotiations with Democrats.

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How far will Democrats go to pass health reform?

They're talking about using the budget reconciliation process for some parts, but it could be risky. Part 2 of two.

By Linda Feldmann
Christian Science Monitor
September 1, 2009 edition
Washington

It’s called “reconciliation,” and yes, it’s Washington jargon. But anyone who wants to understand where healthcare reform might be heading when Congress resumes next week needs to pay attention to that word.

The last congressional panel working on healthcare legislation – the Senate Finance Committee – seems ready to give up on its bipartisan efforts. Two of the committee’s three Republicans working as part of the so-called Gang of Six have made disparaging comments lately about the outlines of reform, leading many Democrats to assume that the effort is effectively over.

But there’s virtually no chance that the more-liberal reform plans can make it through the Senate under normal rules, which require 60 votes to halt a legislation-killing filibuster. So Democrats are increasingly talking about going it alone and using the budget reconciliation process to pass at least parts of the reform.

The crucial difference is that passage under reconciliation requires a simple majority vote. One key health reform the Democrats might try to pass via reconciliation is creation of a “public option,” a government-run insurance program designed to compete with private insurers and bring down costs.

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