Pelosi: Congress Will Pass Healthcare Reform Bill By End Of Year

By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

"Last night, President Obama delivered what I believe to be one of the greatest speeches ever delivered in the congress of the United States," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday at her weekly press conference. Pelosi said she is confident that few obstacles stand in the way of healthcare reform passing.

Congressional members understand the importance of this piece of legislation and they are willing to work hard to achieve healthcare reform, Pelosi said. "We have to resolve the remaining pieces of it, that is very much within range," she said. "We will take the time it needs to do that, and when we are ready we will take our legislation to the floor."

Pelosi said it is likely Obama will pass a bill by the end of the year. "It will be legislation...that will work for the American people," she said. ""I'm confident the President will sign a bill this year."

As a steadfast advocate of a public option provision, Pelosi said last week that a healthcare reform bill would not pass without one. "A public option is the best option to lower costs, improve the quality of health care, ensure choice and expand coverage,” she said.

However, Pelosi said that the current plan is not perfect, and that she is open to suggestions on how to improve it. "I don't think you ever really go into a negotiation and say that some things are non-negotiable," she said. "So far we haven't seen a better plan, but it could be out there."

Harry Reid: Public Option Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

According to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), health care reform legislation that includes the public option can pass through the Senate, although what form the public option will take remains to be seen.

“The public option is in the eye of the beholder. There are different types of public option. We’re going to look at all of them,” Reid stated during a press conference with Senate Democratic leaders Thursday.

The Senate Finance Committee is pursuing a non profit insurance co-op as an alternative to a public option styled after Medicare, a plan the Majority Leader finds acceptable.

“If we can come up with a [co-op] that... makes more competition and makes insurance companies honest, I think it will fill the bill,” said Reid.

The Majority Leader said he would like to have health care reform legislation reach the floor by the Thanksgiving recess, if not earlier.

Constituents More Concerned About Jobs Than Health Care Reform, Claim GOP Congressmen

Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) and Rep. David Camp (R-Mich.) claimed Tuesday that during the numerous town hall meetings held throughout the August recess, the focus was not just on health care reform. The top question being asked was: “Where are the jobs?”

Camp noted during a pen and pad session with reporters that only three counties in his district do not have a double digit unemployment rate, with one county nearing 16%.

The Congressmen touched upon health care reform, both reiterating their opposition to the public option.

“The American people don’t want another health care speech. They want another health care plan,” said Pence.

Camp added, “The public option is not the only concern,” but is “the most offensive part of the bill, because it will lead to many losing health insurance they already have."

When asked how will President Obama’s joint address to Congress Wednesday will be received, Pence responded “The Republicans will welcome the President back into the Congress respectfully."

House Majority Leader Implies Health Care Reform Can Pass Without Public Option

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) implied Tuesday that health care reform legislation can pass through Congress without the inclusion of the public option.

"Do I think [the public option] is a condition of passing the bill? My position has been: I'm for the public option, I want to see us adopt the public option, but I think there is a lot in the bill that is very good in addition to the public option," Hoyer said during a pen and pad session with reporters. "I think a bill can pass the House that the majority of the House believes enhances...the providing of access to affordable, quality health care."

Hoyer's statement stands in contrast with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who last Thursday stressed that any attempt at health care reform without the public option will not receive the required votes.

The Majority Leader added that he will not establish a time table for bringing the legislation to the House floor, referring to his previous desire to pass legislation by August as "a learning experience."

No Public Option, No Health Care Reform Say House Progressive Leaders

By Laura Woodhead - Talk Radio News Service

Health care reform without a public option is not worth the vote House progressive leaders said Thursday. Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Raul Grijalva, (D-Ariz.) warned that a plan without a strong public option does not constitute real reform.

"The line has been drawn," said Grijalva, during a conference call to discuss why a growing number of House members refuse to support a bill without a public option. "For us to pile on a trillion plus dollars into the same bankrupt system that we have of health care delivery in this country, the same insurance industry, is not worth the vote if it doesn't have a public option."

The comments come following a letter sent to Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Monday, signed by 60 progressive members of congress, stating that there would be no support for a health care bill, either on the House floor or after conference, that contained no public option.

Congressional Progressive Caucus vice Co-Chair Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), warned that attempts at a bi-partisan compromise on the public option would not produce positive votes from Republicans, as it is reform that they oppose, not a public plan.

"Anybody who thinks that the way to get a bill is to abandon the public option better be able to explain, better be able to tell me how many people they think they are going to get from the right side of the aisle," Ellison said. "We won't get any. The fact is that we should not count on any Republican votes."

Joining the Congressmen in the discussion was Jacob Hacker, Stanley Resor Professor of Political Science, Yale University who said that the Senate Finance Committee's compromise in the form of "untested" consumer co-operative simply did not represent real reform.

"Consumer co-operatives should not be seen as a substitute for a public plan," said Hacker. "[Co-ops are a] political solution to a political problem unlike the public plan which is a policy solution to a real world problem."

"They should be understood for what they are, an effort to kill the public plan and with it an effective competitor to consolidated insurance companies."