Theodore's World: Harry Reid Says 90% Agreement on DEATH Care Bill

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September 09, 2009

Harry Reid Says 90% Agreement on DEATH Care Bill


Remember when this sorry excuse for an American couldn’t wait to get in front of the press and announce breathlessly that “we killed the Patriot Act”. Didn’t happen! ~ Wild Thing


Reid Says 90% Agreement on Health Care

Political Punch


After emerging from a nearly hour meeting with the President, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that there is now 90% agreement on the way forward for health care reform.

“Even before the August recess, 80 percent of health care is already done,” Reid said, “In our conversations today, we think we're up to 90 percent of things there are agreed upon. We have 10 percent that we need to work on, and we can do that.”

Pelosi and Reid sat down with the President and the Vice President for Oval Office this afternoon and emerged in front of reporters upbeat.

“The president and vice president were very positive,” Reid said, “And it's in keeping with the conversations I've had with my members the past week; that is, we're reenergized, we're ready to do health care reform.”
Pelosi said it is an exciting time and there is “plenty to work from” for the Finance Committee to act.

Reid said he, like the White House, has not seen a copy of Senator Baucus’s draft bill yet.

The Majority Leader said that they are working on the 10% areas of disagreement and said they are still approaching this in the form of bipartisanship but did not rule out reconciliation.
“We still, after all these months, have a place at the table for the Republicans, and we're going to do everything we can to work with them. We want a bipartisan bill. We do not want to do reconciliation unless we have no alternative.”
Reid said that his is “personally” in favor of the public option. Yet he did not speak for the majority of the Senate and chose rather to say that this is a view shared by the majority of the House.
“The majority -- in my mind, there's no question that the majority of -- I can't speak for the House caucus, but if I were betting I think the majority of them also believe in a public option. And we're going to do our very best to have a public option or something like a public option before we finish this work.”

Pelosi confirmed again that the public option is essential for House passage.

“if somebody has a better idea of how to do that, put it on the table,” Pelosi said, “For the moment, however, as far as our House members are concerned, the overwhelming majority of them support a public option.”

Pelosi ducked the question if the trigger option would be an acceptable alternative.

“This, as I say, is the legislative process. And right now, we will have a public option in our bill,” Pelosi said, but later added a prognosis that the trigger option would be worse for insurance companies, “They'd be better getting a public option now than one that is triggered because if you have a triggered public option, it's because the insurance industry has demonstrated that they're not cooperating, they're not doing the right thing, and I think they'll have a tougher public option to deal with.”

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs today said that the President wanted to meet with Pelosi and Reid to get a “legislative lay of the land,” and talk to them about “where members are.”

Reid said that the President did not give much of a preview of his speech before a joint session of Congress, but is confident the message will get through to the American people.

“I have every belief that when he finishes the speech tomorrow, the American people will be able to put aside some of the ridiculous falsehoods that have been perpetrated these past few weeks and focus on what we're going to do that's positive for this country.”


Later yesterday.............this was announced..........

Pelosi and Reid Tell President: We Have the Votes; President Wants Bill Passed Soon

Political Punch

While White House spokesman Robert Gibbs today refrained from telling reporters whether President Obama in his speech Wednesday night will set a deadline for passing health care reform, sources tell ABC News that in his private meeting with Democratic congressional leaders this afternoon the key word was urgency.

The president told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., that it is important for them to pass health care reform bills soon, the sources said.

Both leaders told the president that despite the difficult rough and tumble of the legislative process in the last few weeks, they are optimistic that both the House and Senate can pass health care reform legislation.

What will be in the bill remains an open question, though after the meeting, Reid told reporters that “we're going to do our very best to have a public option or something like a public option before we finish this work.”



Make That 24 25 37 House Dems Who Say They'll Vote Against Obamacare

37 Democrats Committed to Voting Against ObamaCare in Current Form; Caucus Can Only Spare 38 Votes

Weekly Standard

The Hill's Mike Soraghan and Michael M. Gleeson report:


At least 23 House Democrats already have told constituents or hometown media that they oppose the massive healthcare overhaul touted by President Barack Obama.

If Republicans offer the blanket opposition they’ve promised, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) can afford to lose only 38 members of her 256-member caucus and still pass the bill.


Hill reporter Michael O'Brien adds another Democrat to the list -- Arkansas's Mike Ross, who says he'll oppose any bill with a public insurance plan.

One more opponent is Jim Cooper of Tennessee, who wrote in a July op-ed that he would vote "no" on the bill.

Also, 19 Democratic members of Congress wrote in June that "we cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health plan." Twelve of these 19 congressmen aren't already on The Hill's list of "no" votes:


Collin Peterson (Minn.)
Tim Holden (Pa.)
Lincoln Davis (Tenn.)
Solomon Ortiz (Tex.)
Jerry Costello (Ill.)
Mike McIntyre (N.C.)
James Oberstar (Minn.)
Steve Driehaus (Ohio)
Marcy Kaptur (Ohio)
John Murtha (Pa.)
Paul Kanjorski (Pa.)
Kathleen Dahlkamper (Pa.)


So that makes 37 Democratic votes in the House against Obamacare. And I'm sure I'm missing more than a few others.

Of course, members could be induced to change their mind if the bill is changed (or if they're bought off), but as it stands there are (almost) enough Democrats on record to defeat the current health-care legislation in the House




.

Wild Thing's comment.........

They think the town halls were rowdy and near riot, let them shove this crap down our throats. I got your rowdy right here.

Regarding Reid saying that about 90% agreement, this is all smoke and mirrors and bait and switch. Obama is on record as wanting the government plan. They are going to come up with some grand "compromise" that will allow them to get what they want obliquely, after the sham bill with whatever provisions hidden away that will allow it.

Just in case pray hard that Snowe does not cave. They want Republicans so they can weaken Republicans in the next election and strengthen themselves.

America doesn't want commiecare, deathcare, or whatevercare. They want choice not government intervention and power grab.



....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.

Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67


Posted by Wild Thing at September 9, 2009 06:47 AM


Comments

Well, I guess I may fall under this.
Retired Navy and with a spot/tumor on a kidney. The bastard would prefer that I go somewhere and die. After all, he despises all of us who served and who are serving. What a lowlife scumbag.

Posted by: Glenn Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET at September 9, 2009 10:16 AM


Your comments are spot on. Reid and the rest of the Senate has an agenda that does not include the will of over 50% of Americans.
Snowe will cave, believe me. She is an avowed Socialist from the get go. Most New England Senators and Reps are.
The fact that once this thing passes and becomes law,it is irreversible. Is critical. I believe that most people, the Kool aid drinkers, primarily, don't understand this.
I'm afraid very afraid.
We are at the crossroads here. So many things pushing us to Socialism, and diluting the once Most Powerful Nation on Earth.
I fear for all of us, but most of all my children and grandchildren.

Posted by: SEAN. at September 9, 2009 10:38 AM


Your going to beat this thing Glenn, with or without obamacare. Screw Obama.

It aint over yet. We need more letters and phone calls to tell these jerks in no uncertain terms that their current jobs are dependant on how they vote on this bill.

Posted by: Mark at September 9, 2009 11:32 AM


Pelosi, Reid and obama can take 100% of the bill and cram it up their asses.

SEAN makes excellent points about the irreversibility of this bill and it's socialistic implications. They want to hurry this bill through to implementation before more Americans awaken to all the faults of it.

Posted by: TomR at September 9, 2009 01:15 PM


Pelosi, Reid and obama can put 100% of the bill up their asses.

Posted by: TomR at September 9, 2009 01:24 PM


TomR, the bill is too big. That's a job for Barney Frank.

Posted by: Jim at September 9, 2009 04:11 PM


Glenn Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET, I
am praying everyday. Lots of power in
that and we are here for you.

He is exactly what you said.Tripple that!

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 9, 2009 08:04 PM


SEAN, your so right and I wish they would
wake the heck up.

"The fact that once this thing passes and becomes law,it is irreversible. Is critical. I believe that most people, the Kool aid drinkers, primarily, don't understand this."

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 9, 2009 08:05 PM


Mark, I agree, we can't stop they still
need to hear our voice.

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 9, 2009 08:08 PM


Tom, LOL good one!

"Pelosi, Reid and obama can put 100% of the bill up their asses."

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 9, 2009 08:10 PM


Jim, LOL hahahhaha

Posted by: Wild Thing at September 9, 2009 08:12 PM