Mike Ross is all over the news as the chief health negotiator for the Blue Dogs, who, with seven decisive members on the Energy and Commerce Committee, appear to hold the key to the House health care reform bill introduced Tuesday. Here is a little example. Ross says it’s not just Blue Dogs balking among Democrats anymore.
That committee will begin consideration of the bill today, first with the noncontroversial sections. The hard work will be next week, and Ross and other Blue Dogs will be negotiating in the meantime with Chairman Henry Waxman.
Ross’s office tells me the Blue Dogs are busy writing amendments and deciding which few actually to go for.
These are the areas where the Blue Dogs balk:
–The cost of health care reform, both for the explosion in the deficit they fear and the dearth of real savings for consumers they also fear.
–Whether to have a public plan and if so, how to design it. The Blue Dogs prefer it as a trigger if cost-reduction targets aren’t met and they do not want a reimbursement schedule like Medicare’s, which is less for rural areas. Actually, they want to change the Medicare schedule. The bill as written gives them a study commission, probably a mere brush-off. Is there a contradiction in the Blue Dogs, worrying about costs and then trying to jack up Medicare? Sure.
–Employer mandates, either to provide health care to employees or pay a fee. The Blue Dogs like the exemption for small businesses. But they don’t think it goes high enough in terms of payroll and employees. They want to expand it.
–And there’s the whole respect thing, with the Blue Dogs tired of being forced left by Pelosi while the Senate goes a more moderate way.
I recall a column I wrote last in last year’s election season reporting that Obama had called Ross to say he knew he’d need the Blue Dogs if elected to get anything done.
UPDATE — This whole thing has people linking and commenting nationally.
July 17th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
CHOOSING THE USUAL PROFITING INSURANCE COMPANY, OR CHOOSING GOVERNMENT PLAN SHOULD BE UP TO AMERICANS?
The deciding factor in implementing health care for everybody–LEGALLY–in America, is the Publics voice? Those who want to just follow the same old road, can do so with the profit taking commercial insurance. Those who would be satisfied with a government run health care program, can now start demanding it from the lawmakers. Those who see a Universal health care system, similar to most developed countries in Europe, should start informing every Representative and Senate politician starting today. Rationing in places like England, was caused by the major impact of uncontrolled immigration. I see–THE RATS–are coming out of the woodwork, using propaganda and downright lies about government run medical care?
The Special interest lobby, status quo have very wealthy fingers in the pie and do not want Health care for everybody? It’s a trillion dollar business like Cancer treatments. The pharmaceutical companies, AMA and others have very much to lose? Even many corrupt politicians are stockholders in this behemoth money machine. Most American working class can do–without– high premiums, pre-existing condition clauses. deductibles, co-pays that is representative of the wealthy medical care insurers. Whatever pertains to your family, you should start ruffling the indifferent feathers of the people in Washington at 202-224-3121 Just like illegal immigration , we cannot afford anymore to subsidize the business that hire them or the millions of illegal families.