Obama's Secret Bill: White House Drafts Health Care Legislation

Roll Call:

The White House has been secretly drafting its own health care legislation that it may unveil at some point during the debate if officials believe it would help secure passage of a bill, according to sources familiar with the effort.

Sources differed on how far the process has gotten, with some saying a bill is basically finished and others saying they are aware only of a partially completed effort. White House officials, though they know their preferences, also appear to be constructing different options that could be thrown together depending on how the legislation is shaping up in Congress.

But all sources knowledgeable about the effort agreed the measure includes significant detail and possibly even some legislative language that could ensure the bill is ready to go the moment it is needed.

Read the whole story: Roll Call

Comments

[spacecreep]

07:43 PM on 10/03/2009

obama and the white will present a bill you can believe in and vote for..... for yo have to let the whole opposition show their hands.......obamas opponents are not only republicans, but the democrats that have enabled them all these years.... before these year, i had no idea that the republicans couls make so many democrats march to their tune.( or shall we say that many democrats march to the tune of the republicans volunteerly}..... they had to be exposed.... many democrats rode in on obama's draft, but the were opererative of tyhe republican party... congreess have an abundance of changlings in the democratic party... now we all know....our president is a wise leader

[LHoney]

07:22 AM on 10/01/2009

Here's a map showing countries of the world that already have universal health care... We are so behind the rest of the world, it's embarrassing.

http://www.freebase.com/view/wikipedia/images/en_id/12550149

[Godweiser]

02:42 AM on 10/01/2009

It wouldn't surprise me that such a bill is getting hinted at now that Baucus, Lincoln, Nelson and the other blue dogs are in the process of hanging themselves after Obama deferred to them for a bill -- they blatantly sabotaged reform at the request of their insurance company buddies as if it were business as usual in legislation and no one really cared what went on.

Stage one was to let the Republicans yell until out of breath. Step two was to give the blue dogs lots of rope and a stool; pavlovian response from the blue dogs -- they'd go and do in the bill and all the information on how much money they get out of the lobby would come up. Step three, unless I'm missing something in between, will be for the presidential proposal on healthcare, now that congress has shown itself inept and bought out.

In the past, it's been very bad news to go trying to twist congress' arm into things and bludgeon them in a superior fashion, the way Woodrow Wilson did with the League of Nations stuff or the way Hillary Clinton did with health care reform in the 1990's -- or, point of fact, the way John McCain 'rode in to rescue' the stimulus during the election as a show of how capable he was. Obama's not muscling the Senate and House for a reason -- because it is a tactic that's failed in the past.

Patience, and hopefully we'll get

[Godweiser]

02:44 AM on 10/01/2009

Patience; and hopefully we'll get there.

For some reason it all cut off. ;)

[jpm005]

12:05 AM on 10/01/2009

Like a large majority of Americans, I voted for Obama because I wanted fundamental changes in the direction the country was taking in our health care policy. Obama was an outspoken advocate for the change that made sense to me, a single payer health care system or Medicare for all Americans.

Health care reform as it is currently being crafted is only insurance reform. Regardless of whether it does or doesn't have a public option, it is a complete and total waste of effort and we all know it!

Medicare for all Americans is the right thing to do morally and economically. It is undoubtedly very risky from a political point of view to promote this policy. The President must decide if it is time to aspire to achieve what is morally and fiscally right and depend on the American citizens to support these goals or do what is politically safe and allow big business to buy the solutions they want.

I voted for a man with ideals and what I felt was the determination to achieve the realization of those ideals even if it required stepping on some toes. I sincerely hope the President will at least attempt to realize these ideals.

[Irmanator]

12:34 AM on 10/01/2009

I thought the public option was the basis of his health care reform platform. I don't recall anything about single payer being mentioned as he competed with McCain.

[Fran1972]

04:23 AM on 10/01/2009

He said if he were starting a health care system from scratch he would do single payer but this is not from scratch so, he is wanting to reform health insurance as we know it. (I remember him saying this exact thing during the election. He has always said since 2003 that he was for a single payer but that it's a long way off.

I love Obama, I'm going to work hard for him and the Dems next time around BUT I really don't like that he didn't answer the question about Mark Baucus and his conflict of interest with being on the committee and having received 100s of 1000s of dollars from the health insurance lobbyists. Find it here: http://www.mediamouse.org/news/2009/05/headlines-healthcare-reform.php

[CherokeeGirl]

08:31 PM on 09/30/2009

If you want something done right you gotta do it yourself, or let the House do it, cuz they ROCK!

I have some requests for the legislation

1. It must expand the existing medicare program so we get it by 2010, not 2013 (dead by then)

2. It must not pigeon hole different incomes into different plans. All must have full choice.

3. If you don't like your insurance, you can cancel it and join one in the "Exchange"

4. Can we please have dental and vision? I'm starting to look like a Blind British Peasant! LOL

5. Trust the American people to have enough smarts to spot a good thing when they see one

6. Remember, this is not 1994. This time, EVERYONE IS WATCHING AND IT'S GREAT! :)

Thanks for the nod and the wink this morning, Obama. Talk about Social Security and Medicare again and again and again. Get it done like LBJ did. Thank you for sticking with us and teaching us what ugly things lie in the wood shed.

[MarsAmbassador]

08:28 PM on 09/30/2009

You were elected to lead, now LEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Emucrat]

07:16 PM on 09/30/2009

Of course. Democrats were planning health care reform the last 8 years. Guess why it will only cost 900 billion dollars. That's extremely efficient. I'm sure they will have plans B to Z if plan A fails.

The best plan ist still universal health care. The whole world has it and benefits from it, except the United States.

[FHTB]

11:51 PM on 09/30/2009

Yes, and the rest of the world, as so many do about our barbaric system of capital punshment, sit and shake their heads in disbelief at the idiotic debate being made about universal health care...

What I don't get is why the secrecy about a White House plan?

Playing coy won't get this done...being TRANSPARENT (remember that?) is infinitely more useful and effective and shows the public Obama is going to play rough...otherwise it looks a shade shady...

[Godweiser]

02:48 AM on 10/01/2009

I'll accept a public option because Grassley is right -- once it's in, private insurance is going to be scaled back considerably as they no longer can keep a captive audience. The cooperative plan is bad news; the insurances just drop the prices and put the co-ops out of business. When these cooperatives get in trouble and require fresh funding, it'll be easy to kill them off and the Republicans and blue dogs will be handed rhetorical ammunition -- that healthcare reform was 'doomed' and 'flawed' when that was the point and that's how they planned it in the first place.

A strong, extremely robust public option, a consolidated one, needs to be done if reform is to work and we aren't to be stuck right back where we are now; a captive audience to the insurance companies, double dipped -- we get hit with huge premiums. Then they deny care, people go bankrupt and the taxpayer has to pick up that tab.

That can't keep going.

[queenofcore]

06:59 PM on 09/30/2009

good I think this time we are ready!!

[Seattlelite]

02:44 PM on 09/30/2009

I know many people feel President Obama from day one should have taken control and created the health care bill instead of allowing Congress to do it. What I say to that is, just how short is your memory, LOL. The Clintons took that route and ran into a wall cost many democrats their seats. If Obama had gone that route he would have hit that same wall. Some people are smart enough to learn by others mistakes.

[SizeMatters]

02:55 PM on 09/30/2009

everyone remembers that. regardless of how it is handled, socialized medicine will be hard to push through, because most people DON'T WANT IT

[Icantbelieveher]

03:02 PM on 09/30/2009

You are wrong on that one! Medicare is socialized medicine and you'd be hard-pressed to find a senior that relies on it that wants to give it up!

President Obama stated in debate after debate that he wanted everyone to have the choice to buy into Medicare or a program like it. He was voted in by majority -- the majority of people knew that was his plan, the majority of Americans want a public option (socialized medicine).

[Seattlelite]

03:02 PM on 09/30/2009

"because most people DON'T WANT socialized medicine? Oh really? I don't hear anyone receiving their "socialized Medicare or VA plans complaining".......

[EvanHansen]

05:31 PM on 09/30/2009

Bill Clinton came into office without a Mandate and enitrely different political climate. It'a apples and oranges. Obama clearly had a mandate, 60 seats in the Senate, and a huge House majority, and could have chosen to use it. He didn't, period. The result has been crashing into a centrist wall he has helped to build.

[sushi27]

10:40 PM on 09/30/2009

The Blue Dog Democrats are the same ones that killed Bill Clintons healthcare reform.

[oldguydude]

02:39 PM on 09/30/2009

Earlier in Sept., I was mocked concerning my comment on this subject.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/04/pelosi-pushes-back-no-pub_n_277293.html?page=36&show_comment_id=30300837#comment_30300837

Obama's lack of leadership continues to show itself.

[Seattlelite]

02:50 PM on 09/30/2009

It's not from lack of leadership this has become a 3 ring circus. Pres. Obama made it very clear what he wanted from this bill and he's busted his butt trying to sell his ideas. Don't blame him for the fact he has to deal with democrats more concerned about their own butts and campaign contributions AND people stupid enough to believe the government will bump off grandma!

[oldguydude]

03:24 PM on 09/30/2009

Well evidently he didn't make his wishes know clearly enough to avoid this 3 ring circus as you put it.

He has squandered all this time by being vague enough to infuse confusion among his own party. How can he effectively lead the country when he can't even lead and direct his own party - A party which have the majority numbers in both House and Senate. Never mind the Republicans - they don't exist as anything other than diversionary tactics for Obama and his team's own ineptness.

Churchill - he aint (so far).

[FHTB]

11:57 PM on 09/30/2009

He has not busted his butt...during the campaign he did, but not now...Obama really needs a win soon, otherwise things are going to go south fast for him, something I certainly don't want to see happen...I want him to succeed, but it's going to take a lot more than speeches...he needs to be an arm twister ala LBJ, getting out there and pulling aside the Blue Dogs and laying down the law...you step up, or I am going to freeze you out...Obama is the leader of the Dem party...act like one.

[RightWingMarine]

02:39 PM on 09/30/2009

to achieve the ultimate surprise Obama should release the bill and demand that it be passed immediatly because to fail to do so would lead to an unrecoverable situation for the US a la stimulus bill. We'll find out what's in it when it's too late.

[SizeMatters]

02:45 PM on 09/30/2009

the dems ignored the fact that 83% of America wants the final draft to be posted for the public 72 hours before voting and voted that down. what else is hidden?

[billhodges]

02:53 PM on 09/30/2009

They are afraid people would learn what is in the bills and raise up against them.

[postturtle]

02:36 PM on 09/30/2009

During his speech to Congress, Barack Obama derided the notion that ObamaCare would pay for abortions and for health insurance for illegal immigrants as “false”, a “misunderstanding” spread by opponents who wanted to derail his efforts to reinvent the American health-care system:

"There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false – the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally. And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up – under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place."

The Senate Finance Committee rejected an amendment to its healthcare bill Wednesday that would have required women to purchase a separate, supplemental insurance plan to cover abortion services.

(Also) Senate Finance Committee Democrats rejected a proposed a requirement that immigrants prove their identity with photo identification when signing up for health insurance or tax credits under healthcare reform.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/60911-committee-votes-down-abortion-amendment
_________________

So Barry, Joe Wilson was RIGHT. You Lied.

[SizeMatters]

02:41 PM on 09/30/2009

well, well. you folks ought to be getting your apology emails going!

[billhodges]

02:50 PM on 09/30/2009

You know that won't happen, these folks can not ever admit they are wrong. :-)

[prettyinpink]

02:42 PM on 09/30/2009

Fanned.

Of course he did.

If a politician yells you lie in a room full of politicians-

How does anyone know who he is talking to?

[edwarvir]

02:35 PM on 09/30/2009

This is only way it's going to get it done.
The Republicans don't want anything to interfere
with their perks, and the WussyCrats are to
scared to make a move, So if our fearless Leaders
doesn't do it, it won't get done

[musselmanm]

02:24 PM on 09/30/2009

Just quit sitting on your thumb allowing the truly stupid run the program into the ground.

[mjtaylor22]

02:19 PM on 09/30/2009

I HOPEHE DOES HAVE HIS OWN PLAN, I UNDERSTAND ALLWOIGN CONGRESS TO SHOW THEIR TRUE COLORS AND FLOUNDE4R AROUND. if he had shoved a bill down their throats initially, it woudl have been DOA.
to have it ready now, as we can see the process ebb n flow thru congress.
is a great strategic move.
he needs to have a bill ready for the final votes just in case these senate and congress idiots decide it is ok tocompletely fail the voting tax paying citizens of this nation.