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Democrats Push Ahead after Health Care Summit Posted on 2/26/2010
President Barack Obama signaled that Democrats will move forward on a health care overhaul with or without Republicans.
Obama delivered his closing argument at a 7-1/2-hour televised policy marathon Thursday.
President Obama told Republicans he welcomes their ideas, but they must fit into his framework for a broad health care remake that would cover tens of millions of uninsured Americans.
President Obama Comments Obama said, "The truth of the matter is that politically speaking, there may not be any reason for Republicans to want to do anything."
Obama said, "I don't need a poll to know that most Republican voters are opposed to this bill and might be opposed to the kind of compromise we could craft.
President Obama said, "The question that I'm going to ask myself and I ask of all of you is, is there enough serious effort that in a month's time or a few weeks' time or six weeks' time we could actually resolve something?"
He said, "And if we can't, I think we've got to go ahead and some make decisions, and then that's what elections are for. "
Sen. McConnell Comments Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, said, "Frankly, I was discouraged by the outcome."
McConnell said, "I do not believe there will be any Republican support for this 2,700-page bill."
Sen. Reid Comments Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, said, "It's time to do something, and we're going to do it."
Obama's Plan Obama's plan would require most Americans to get health insurance.
The proposal would provide subsidies for many in the form of a new tax credit.
The Obama plan would set up a competitive insurance market for small businesses and people buying coverage on their own.
The proposal includes fixing the "doughnut hole" in the Medicare prescription benefit and setting up a new long-term-care insurance program.
Common Ground Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR, said he would try to broaden common ground.
Obama said he was willing to incorporate medical malpractice changes into his plan.
Rep. Cantor Comments Rep. Eric Cantor, R-AZ, said, "We have a very difficult gap to bridge here."
Cantor said, "We just can't afford this. That's the ultimate problem."
Democrats said Americans cannot wait.
Speaker Pelosi Comments House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, said, "For them, they don't have time for us to start over."
Sen. Rockefeller Comments Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-WV, urged greater oversight of the health insurance sector.
Rockefeller called it "a shark that swims just below the water."
He said, "This is a rapacious industry that does what it wants, unknown to the people of America except on an individual basis."
Reconciliation Possible Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-TN, asked Democrats to swear off reconciliation.
Sen. Reid defended it.
Obama said Americans want a decision on health care, and most think "a majority vote makes sense."
Fall Back Plan Democrats may try a scaled-back plan to insure about 15 million more Americans, rather than the 30 million covered under the congressional bills.
Among other things, the fallback plan would require insurance companies to let people up to age 26 stay on their parents' health plans.
