Health Care Reform Delayed: Congress Unlikely To Meet Obama's August Deadline

WASHINGTON — Top members of Congress say it's unlikely they will meet President Barack Obama's August deadline for a sweeping health care overhaul.

Lawmakers on Sunday said they will not rush on a health care overhaul that isn't even in final form yet.

The North Dakota senator in charge of the budget committee, Democrat Kent Conrad, says there's plenty of time for the overhaul while Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee says there's no rush.

Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan says Obama would be pleased with the progress toward overhaul, while budget committee ranking Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire says it's "highly unlikely" that legislation would reach Obama's desk before recess because bills are still being drafted.

The lawmakers appeared on CNN's "State of the Union."

Comments

[Richrdh]

What ever happened to get the job done? Why put off til tomorrow what you can do today?

At least 50 million people who have no insurance want it done by August. At least another 30 million people who are "under-insured" want it done by August. The Congressional attitude is shown by their behavior of "we will get to it when we can get to it." Another year and another 5% increase in insurance payments.

Let's be real for one moment. Congress is not fooling anyone. This is a political power play. This is a "wait and see" game. This is lobby money heading past $100 million. This is us being played. Come on people wake up!! They hope that they can kick the can down the road so they can get some watered down bill through for the President. They hope Americans will just give up and move on to something else. They are betting the farm on this one folks. Let's disappoint them and not move on. This has to be their number one priority.

[theone718]

I don't care if we have to wait some more time as long as the bill is a good one. No games this time, I won't take the good, I want the RIGHT.

[LynnW49]

I want it to be "right," too. If only a delay really meant a better bill and not more time to appease the lobbyists and hope for the American public to cool off. I have become distrustful of Congressional (and White House) delays.
It seems to me that delays mean that we get treated like idiots, or like rabble who can be counted on to forget what we really wanted in the first place.

[Rangergirl]

We need healthcare reform NOW........Stop stonewalling....GET IT DONE>>>>>

[jmpurser]

At this point we're not even on the PATH to real health care reform so what's the hurry?

[PrezAppease]

the lobbyist have taken control of the health legislation. it is they who write it. u don't think that these two bit congressmen write it, do u. we are selling out to the special interests who elect the congress and senate. follow the money. power flows from $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[naschkatze]

No. What they're pursuing is bad for the country. I don't want to settle for that because I've been rushed into it.

[Dan311]

As frustrated as I am with the pace, I am glad that things are slowing down a bit. It allows for people to get more informed about Single Payer. I posted this on another HCare topic, but if you didn't see it.

This is the Bill Moyers interview with two doctors who advocate for Single Payer.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05222009/watch2.html

It is as good as the interview with Potter, and the two Doctors make compelling arguments, I wish could be seen on Network TV.

[jmpurser]

Yeah. Since we're not headed for real health care reform I don't care how "fast" we don't get there.

How about we have the CBO score single payer with this extra time? How about we have a national discussion about what the "public option" is and what it isn't?

[PrezAppease]

let's hope that obama phails

[mitsie]

Let's hope you learn to become Patriotic, because no American wants their President to fail. BTW you better learn how to spell.

[larry278]

Has Pres Obama thought of cloning 50 Rahm's & having them lobby the 111th Congress, 24/7 now? Putting K St under martial law & confining all K St Commandos there till Xmas, 2009 must be accomplished now, too.

[jmpurser]

I think one Rahm turned out to be WAY too many.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

With the health insurance, pharmaceutical and other associated industries spending between $1 and $2 MILLION - every day - to lobby against public option health care reform; and with members of CONgress racking up these fund$ for their next election, their pockets, and for future employment...


they'd be crazy to NOT drag it out longer!

[jmpurser]

I think one Rahm turned out to be WAY too many!

[PrezAppease]

they will drag it out and it will remain private with only the threat of a public plan.

[loveobamas]

Slowly, but surely, they are coming around.It seems to me that this is yet another indication that the battle is being won.

How many times has the President stated that he wants a strong public option? Then we have Reid laying down the law in the Senate. Then the "trigger" died as well last week. Now we have a noticeable amount of so-called Blue Dogs starting to walk back their opposition just as we've seen with several Senators like Hagan and Lincoln.

I wish the thing was done already, but it seems to me that we don't pay near the attention to the positive developments as we do anything that could be possibly parsed as negative.

We need to keep the pressure on Congress. We need to broaden our coalition, I would like to see more African-American, Latino, and Asian groups and leaders brought on board for this fight. I think African-Americans can surely make a difference in the South where some Senators absolutely will not win if they don't get African-American support.

We also, need to reach out to those Evangelicals who want a government-run public option. I know that doesn't sit well with some folks, but this is literally a battle to the d.e.a.t.h and we need to use every b.u.ll.e.t and every body that is willing and able.

[Didactic Curveball]

And while this is delayed, there are Americans who are going to die because of lack of access to affordable healthcare in this country.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (just not for everyone)

[PlaceboStudman]

And even more people who have perfectly good health care are going to die because no one thought to do the medical R&D to ensure that the treatments we receive aren't killing us

[Didactic Curveball]

GOP strategy: delay, derail, deny

The Dems need to use the power they wield while they still have it and when timing is so crucial. Don't blow this opportunity as it may not come around again.

[Solja]

The associated press (AP) is becoming more and more irrelevant. This story is twisted by its headline. It should read:

"Democratic Lawmakers say Healthcare is on right track- Republican Lawmakers, not so much"

The bill isn't delayed. The only ones who think it is are Republicans. This headline is specifically for those people who never read the actual story. If you read it, you'd know this to be true.

[AllenD]

$1.3 Trillion / 10 years = $130 Billion/year

$130 Billion / 300 million Americans = $433/ year or $36/month

Stop quibbling and get 'er done!

[Viper]

and much less than Iraq... and if you get rid of the insurance companies that take 35% of every healthcare dollar, treat no one and we pay what the rest of the world pays for drugs... well it will not cost anything.... in fact will cut cost 50%.


Regards

[PrezAppease]

yeah but that calculus is faulty. MOST americans won't pay the bill. a small number will pay the bill.

[GeoLee]

Delay and Defeat...that is the plan. Gives them time to write in unacdeptable provisions the health care lobby wants.

[Periwinkle]

Wish I could delay the severe pain in the hip joint I can't afford to have replaced.

[PrezAppease]

you will have to pay for it yourself under a public plan. it won't pay for hip replacements. stay crippled.

[Periwinkle]

Wait . . . let me guess . . . this is a "rationing" post. Which insurance company do you work for?

[Solja]

Pelosi will clarify the talk come Monday. If she says the bill will get done, then then bill will get done. It doesn't matter what these folks say, they aren't running the House. They will get it done if Pelosi tells them there will be no vacation for them next month or whenever their next recess is. Oh yeah, they will get it done, or they will stay there until they do.

[marinade]

Foot-dragging.

It's a time-out called by the insurance industry. They are trying to throw off the pace. They are trying to weaken the drive for the strong public option without a trigger.