Reid Moves Forward With Health Care Bill, Despite Serious Obstacles

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) Tuesday addressed major obstacles facing the Senate’s health care reform legislation, including a possible move by pro-life Senators to introduce language barring federal funding for abortions, similar to the Stupak amendment that made its way into the Affordable Health Care for Americans Act.

“We’re going to continue to work with the pro-choice folks and the pro-life folks in the Senate and come up with something fair and reasonable,” Reid said during a late-morning press conference.

The majority leader added that the public option will continue to be included in the legislation, despite the objections levied by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who has threatened to filibuster any legislation with the provision.

“We’re going to move forward, I believe strongly, with the public option,” said Reid. “I had a conversation with Joe Lieberman an hour ago, it was a good conversation and I’m confident we’ll work something out.”

Reid, and the Democratic Senators that joined him, appeared at Tuesday’s conference flanked by U.S. servicemen and women. They took the opportunity to highlight the Caregiver and Veterans Affairs Act, a piece of legislation Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Ok.) has put a hold on.

Coburn has stated that although he supports the aim of the bill, which would give families of wounded veterans the resources for home treatment, he is uncomfortable passing the legislation until payment is addressed.

“Where was he when we were spending a trillion dollars on the war in Iraq? That wasn’t paid for,” Reid argued. “I have no ability to comprehend the illogic of [Senator] Coburn.”

Reid Pushes Public Option, Ability To Opt-Out

Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Monday that the public option, saddled with a provision that will allow states to individually opt-out, will be included in the final draft of the Senate’s health care reform legislation.

“Under this concept states will be able to determine if the public option works well for them,” Reid said during a late afternoon press conference. “It’s the fairest way to go”

The Senate Majority Leader added that states will have until 2014 to opt-out. Reid noted that there will be plans for a non-profit insurance cooperative in the legislation, but did not provide further comment.

Reid stated that he will not be submitting a “trigger option,” or a mechanism that would launch the public option only if health care providers fail to make essential reforms, for scoring through the Congressional budget office. The “trigger” was heavily supported by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), the only Republican on the Senate Finance Committee to vote in favor of moving the legislation out of committee.

Reid responded to the possible alienation of Snowe, lamenting the lack of moderate Republicans in the Senate.

“I’m always looking for Republicans. We looked for Republicans on this,” Reid said. “It’s a little hard to find them. We’ve had to do a lot of this on our own.”

Reid quipped that he could count the number of moderate Republicans among his colleagues on two fingers.

There have been doubts in recent weeks over whether the public option would be included in the Senate’s legislation, with many believing the taxpayer-funded insurance plan would only be in the House bill. Now, as reports arise charging that the House will not have enough votes to pass legislation with the public option, the tables seem to have turned.

Still, during a press conference last Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) appeared far from willing to admit defeat over the inclusion of the controversial plan.

“By no means is the [vote] count complete or has any decision been made,” Pelosi told reporters. “At the end of the day we will have a public option in our legislation.”

Reid: Cash For Clunkers Vote Could Come By Thursday

By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that a vote allocating an additional $2 billion for the popular "Cash For Clunkers" program could come to the Senate floor as soon as Thursday.

"I can envision doing my very best to get this passed today," Reid said during a press conference Thursday.

While a number of amendments have been proposed to tweak the program, the Senate Majority Leader said that they would not be adopted.

"We all know that if we change the bill it will die," Reid said.

Senate Democrats Put Family Focus On Health Care

By Courtney Ann Jackson - Talk Radio News Service

The health care debate has taken on many angles, but today the focus of Democratic leaders in the Senate was on uninsured families. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-N.V.) welcomed two families directly affected by health care issues to a press conference Thursday to represent the many families being affected everyday.

“Our opponents aren’t talking about the real families and the real problems these families have,” said Reid. “Reforming health care is not abstract because health care is not theoretical...It’s about people, real people.”

Reid was joined by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). The Senators noted that the families in attendance know the real costs of health care due to personal experiences. Reid repeated the phrase, “we’re talking about people,” multiple times in his opening statement.

Murray said she's asked constituents in her home state to share their personal stories about health care and why they feel health care reform is needed. So far, she said she's received over 5,000 e-mails in two weeks.

Murray highlighted the need to control the costs for family health insurance, noting that people with quality health insurance are paying more in premiums because the system as a whole does not cover everyone.

“Overcome the obstacles and get something done. We have to get something done,” said Schumer. “The system just isn’t working or it’s getting to the point that it won’t work in the next decade.”

Durbin said stories about ordinary Americans losing health insurance are not uncommon because 14,000 people lose health care everyday. He said that if nothing is done now, the problem won’t just go away, and that’s why health reform must happen this year.

The Senators said they will give the legislation more time so that Republicans who oppose the plan can review what Reid described as a “complex difficult issue." They said they would continue to work on the bill when they return from recess in the fall.

“I’ve had conversations with them [Republicans] and I’ll have future conversations to give them assurances that we’ll take everything they do and we’ll do what we can to make sure their issues aren’t buried,” said Reid.

Reid expressed confidence that all 60 Democrats in the Senate are prepared to vote for the legislation.

Senate Democrats Predict Republican Support For Sotomayor

By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

Senate leaders predicted Thursday that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor will not only be confirmed by their fellow Democrats, but will also have a number of supporters on the other side of the aisle.

“There will be some Republicans voting for her. To not do so is to be blind to what qualifications and personality she has,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) during a pen and pad session with reporters.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) agreed, noting that the attempts made by some Republicans to find grounds to oppose her confirmation have fallen flat.

“They have scant evidence to use against here, and I think she has handled [the hearings] so well.

“I know that some Republican Senators have spoken to me and said that many are starting to lean her way,” Durbin added.

The pen and pad session was also attended by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wa.).