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July 27: Democrats Becoming More Divided Over Health Reform
Despite optimistic assessments from White House officials and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), media reports continue to paint the path toward healthcare reform as getting murkier. The AP (7/27) reports that "White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said they are '80 percent' in agreement on what a final version will include and are making progress." On Fox News Sunday (7/26, Baier), Gibbs went on to say, "We're still working on that last 20 percent." The AP notes that "in separate interviews, Obama adviser David Axelrod used the same line, underscoring the White House's desire to paint the missed deadline as a hiccup rather than a hurdle." Said Axelrod, "Now, we're at the final 20 percent and we're trying to work through those details." The New York Times (7/27, Knowlton, Henry) says that Gibbs also "sought to put the best face on the missed timetable," and adds that Axelrod "used the same phrase" as Gibbs "in noting progress on the bill. 'Now, we are at that final 20 percent. We are trying to work through those details,' he said on CBS's 'Face the Nation.'" The Washington Post (7/27, Murray, Kane), meanwhile reports that House Speaker Pelosi defied "skeptics in her party" as she "vowed Sunday to overcome lingering obstacles and pass healthcare reform in the House." The Speaker said on CNN, "When I take this bill to the floor, it will win" -- a quote that is featured on a number of print reports this morning. The Politico (7/27, Brown) says that Gibbs, Axelrod, and Nancy Pelosi "did their best to sound upbeat," and remarks on "what a tough sell Obama-style health reform is proving to be for some in Congress -- particularly among moderates and fiscal conservatives in Obama's own party." The AP (7/27) notes that "a key Democratic senator acknowledged" yesterday that "even though the Democrats enjoy a majority in the Senate, some are skittish about the financial or political costs of the proposals." Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) said, "Look, there are not the votes for Democrats to do this just on our side of the aisle." Roll Call (7/27, Dennis, Drucker) headlines its report "Hope Fading For Health Bill," while on its front page, and the Financial Times (7/27, Dombey, subscription required) says "divisions among US Democrats over healthcare widened on Sunday." Noting Conrad's comments about the need for GOP support, the Times adds that it "highlights many moderate Democrats' reluctance to support such a significant piece of legislation without Republican support." Reuters (7/27, Whitesides) notes that on Sunday Conrad said that reform legislation could not pass without bipartisan support. Bloomberg News (7/27, Jensen), The Hill (7/27, Zimmermann), the Wall Street Journal (7/27, Bendavid, subscription required), and USA Today (7/27, Fritze) also cover the story.
July 22: White House Backs Off Health Reform Deadline
ABC World News (7/21, story 5, 2:15, Gibson) reported last night that "White House officials have backed off their August deadline" for healthcare reform, "which they now say was a way to poke and prod Congress to act." NBC Nightly News (7/21, story 3, 1:45, Todd) also said the August deadline "is virtually gone. Expect to hear the President talk about just trying to get the committee work done by the August recess." Likewise, McClatchy (7/22, Lightman, Douglas) reports, "Democratic leaders expressed doubts Tuesday that they can meet the deadline." Senate leader Harry Reid, for example, said, "The goal is not deadlines; the goal is comprehensive healthcare reform. Not piecemeal healthcare reform, comprehensive healthcare reform." Rep. Jerrold Nadler said on Fox News' Your World (7/21, Cavuto), "I don't think we should be rushing this. We've only been talking about it for 60 years. I think we should be doing it. And you've got to understand about the CBO. The CBO did not say that the cost of this system would increase the deficit. They said it would be deficit-neutral. The increase in the deficit of about $239 billion over 10 years is from something that we're going to do with or without reforming the healthcare system, and that's stopping the otherwise scheduled reduction in Medicare reimbursement rate to doctors. And we're going to do that whether we pass a health bill or not. But the health bill will pay for itself." Rep. Hoyer says lawmakers may recess before voting on health bill. Bloomberg News (7/22, Rowley, Jensen) reports that House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer (MD) "left open the possibility that House members may leave town this month without voting on healthcare legislation, saying lawmakers still need to reach a consensus." Rep. Hoyer said, "I don't think staying in session" is "necessary to continuing to work on getting consensus. ... We are continuing to talk about how to improve the bill." Roll Call (7/22, Newmyer) and The Hill (7/22, Soraghan) also cover the story. Pelosi confident reform measure will pass. USA Today (7/22, Fritze) reports that Speaker Pelosi "said Tuesday she is confident Congress will advance an overhaul of the nation's healthcare system despite divisions within her own party and mounting opposition from outside groups over its cost." As House and Senate lawmakers "wrestle with how to pay the price of covering the nation's 46 million uninsured - more than $1 trillion in the first decade - the California Democrat told USA TODAY's editorial board that the best approach is to rely on savings rather than taxes." Pelosi said, "There's, I believe, more to be squeezed out. Many members think that there's more to be squeezed from hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and docs."