Dems & Reps At Odds To Start Healthcare Insurance Reform Bill Over

By Stephanie Robins on February 9, 2010, 8:14 am Posted in Business News

Despite having an 18 seat majority, Senate Democrats have begun to wonder whether President Barack Obama’s health care reform is officially dead. That’s because Republican members of the Senate have long showed that until they have more say into how the reform is written, they will filibuster anything and everything they can that has to do with said reform. Now the debate has turned to whether the Democrats should attempt to ram through the current health care bill, or whether they should go back to the bargaining table, and let Republicans have more control.

Stay The Course

Key Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank want the Senate to allow the House of Representatives to take over the attempts to get Obama’s health reform passed through Congress. Using something called Reconciliation, the Senate would need only 51 votes to pass the legislation, and the Democrats would have the health reform they campaigned on in 2008. At the very least, they’ve have a semblance of that reform package.

Once Again From The Top

While the Democrats have the means to rush the current iteration of their health reform through Congress, there is some debate; for numerous reasons that it might not be a good idea. Progressives aren’t happy with what the current bill looks like, especially without any sort of Public Option. Republicans on the other hand are now saying that the health reform process should begin anew, and that they should have a real seat at the negotiating table.

 

Republican leaders say that while they haven’t exactly been helpful in moving the health care negotiations forward, they do have ideas that will improve the plan for all Americans, and that with their ability to ground the Senate process to a halt, and the public’s lack of enthusiasm for what the Democrats are doing at the moment, attempting a brand new bipartisan bill might be the best choice.

Related posts:

1. Healthcare Insurance Bill Reform: Polls Show 59% Want Repeal
2. Obama Healthcare Reform Bill Will Slowly Crush The Medical Field
3. Rassmussen Poll: Seniors Frowning 2:1 On New Healthcare Reform Bill
4. Cigna Healthcare Posts $330 Million Profit For Last Quarter
5. Healthcare Reform Bill Looms Large On Medtronic’s Healthcare Plans