House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Breaks Down Democrats' 2010 Agenda

By Laurel Brishel Prichard and Sofia Sanchez University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) gave an overview Tuesday on what to expect from Democrats in 2010, which according to Hoyer will include health care, jobs, and whether Haitians will be allowed short term refugee status in the United States.

“The failure [of health care reform] is a fact, and we have to learn from it if we want to do better,” said Hoyer in a statement.

While the state of the health care bill is still unknown, Democrats have several options at hand: do nothing, try to pass a lesser form of the bill, pass the senate bill as is, or pass the Senate bill with the understanding that there will be corrections to the bill in another piece of legislation.

Hoyer said the Senate bill in its current state is not viable.

Many Democrats are hoping that President Barack Obama will address the next move in his State Of The Union address Wednesday.

Hoyer told reporters that jobs have not been on the back burner to health care. One of the first bills passed in 2009 was in regards to jobs, as was the last piece of legislation that the house put through. Also, Hoyer said, health care reform would could spur job growth.

“If health care is passed, it will help create 4 million jobs in the next decade,” said Hoyer.

Hoyer expressed sympathy for the Haitian community when asked if special exceptions will be allowed for Haitian immigration into the United States.

“I don’t want to pre-judge what will happen,” said Hoyer.

The United States has assisted in rushing through some adoptions of Haitian children in the time since the earthquake hit Haiti.

Pelosi Offers Grim Assessment Of Healthcare Bill

By Benny Martinez - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News

The Senate’s version of the health care reform bill will not likely pass in the House unless some changes are made, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her weekly news conference on Thursday.

“I don’t see the votes for it at this time,” Pelosi said. “There isn’t a market right now for proceeding with the full bill unless something changes in the Senate bill.”

When asked if the bill, in its current state, will be passed in time for President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address next week, Pelosi said that there are fundamentals included in the Senate’s version that make it problematic for some House members.

“There are certain things that members just cannot support,” she said.

Issues regarding education and economic policy are being pushed aside, but there are a growing number of constituents who believe that a decision regarding health care reform must come sooner rather than later, according to the Speaker.

“We have to get a bill passed, we know that,” she said. “That’s a predicate that we’ve all subscribed to.”

Reid Confirms That There Will Be No Work On Health Care Until Brown Arrives

By Sofia Sanchez University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) confirmed Wednesday that the Senate will abstain from health care reform negotiations until newly elected Republican Senator Scott Brown (Mass.) comes to Washington.

"We are going to wait until the new Senator arrives to do anything more on health care,” said Reid. “We need to work with [Republicans] as partners and not partisans to improve the individual lives of Americans.”

Referring to the Republican party as the party of ‘no,' Reid offered his hope that 2010 will be more productive and unified.

“As we have worked to relieve the suffering of the American people, Republicans have made a political calculation not to participate, and that was evident to what took place last year,” Reid stated. “Their answer to everything has been no. Hard to comprehend, even with funding the troops.”

Reid’s message to Republicans is that the people of Massachusetts gave them a new opportunity to govern, and he hopes that the minority party will take that opportunity to govern fairly.

“The election in Massachusetts changes the math in the Senate,” said Reid. “But it does not change the fact that people are hurting, it does does not change our commitment to help those who are hurting.”

House Democrats Uncertain If Health Care Bill Will Reach Conference Committee

Leading House Democrats could not confirm Tuesday whether Congress will avoid reconciling the two legislative bodies’ health care reform legislation within a conference committee.

“We don’t even know yet if there’s going to be a conference,” said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) during a press conference Tuesday. “It’s not clear yet whether or not that’s going to happen.”

It has been rumored in recent days that Congress may seek to hold private negotiations with House and Senate leaders as an alternative to the conference, a possibility that critics charge will eliminate transparency.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) waved away such concerns.

“There has never been a more open process for any legislation in anyone who has served here’s experience,” the Speaker said.

Obama Meets With Senate Democrats Over Health Care Reform

John DuBois, University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

As the debate over the Senate's health care reform bill enters what could be its final stages, President Barack Obama met with Senate Democrats at the White House Tuesday to shore up support for the much fought-over legislation.

“This was a broad based discussion about how we move forward. Whatever differences remain, there is broad consensus around reforms that will finally.....protect every American from the worst practices in the health industry,” said Obama in remarks following the closed-door meeting.

“If we don’t get this done your premiums are gauranteed to go up,” added Obama.

Despite facing challenges from centrist Senators like Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who recently rejected a proposed compromise that would scrap a public option for the expansion of Medicare eligibility, the president voiced his assurance that the legislation will pass.

“I’m absolutely confident that if the American people know what is in this bill and if the Senate knows what is in this bill, it will pass, because it’s right for America,” said Obama.

The president delivered his remarks accompanied by Senate Democratic leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Chairmen of the Finance and HELP Committees, Max Baucus (D-Mont.) Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) respectively.