Minnick Waiting For Final Step In Health Care Fight

With President Obama forging ahead on health care reform, the moment of truth is arriving for wavering Democrats who would prefer that the issue just went away. Take Walt Minnick, a freshman from Idaho. The conservative Democrat voted against health care reform when it first came through the House.

When the Associated Press recently asked Minnick if he might change his previous no vote to a yes, he declined to answer, putting him on the AP's list of ten Democrats who might possibly switch.

His office responded by calling the AP to say that there was no way he was voting yes the next time around.

Reporters caught up with him in the Capitol on Wednesday and he had climbed back to the top of the fence, where he sits.

"I always look at legislation, because this legislation is not finalized," he said when HuffPost asked if he was a firm no. "If it is simply the Senate bill, I've looked at that and decided I was opposed to it."

Of course, it won't be simply the Senate bill. What changes does he need to see in it?

"I'm not prepared to talk to that right now. The issue of what's going to be in the bill is, I think, between the president and senior leadership right now. So if they ask me, I'll give them feedback. But in general I want it to be paid for, I want it to bend the cost curve," he said.

It is paid for and it does bend the health care cost curve -- in real-world terms, it reduces the rate of growth of health care costs -- according to health care experts and nonpartisan congressional analysts.

"I want to see what the president says today and I'm not 100 percent convinced it's the end of the process," said Minnick.

Could he be the vote that kills it? Minnick paused and answered.

"Of course I could," he said, then paused again before going on.

"This is not a process that I'm very excited about. I'd much rather have a bill that had enough support, bipartisan support, so you didn't have to go through the process," he said. "I think that sentiment is rather widely shared."

Minnick's spokesman couldn't immediately be reached, but we expect a call shortly that might pull him back off the fence.

UPDATE -- Wednesday 5:15 PM: "Like his constituents in Idaho, Walt continues to hold out hope that the president will propose a bill that will actually reduce their costs of insurance and be something that they will support. It's not surprising that the liberal Huffington Post wouldn't understand his position," said Minnick's campaign spokesman John Foster.

Comments

[addisonave]

02:28 AM on 03/21/2010

I want the health insurance AND pension our swell representatives have voted for themselves.

[BroncoSandi]

07:56 PM on 03/19/2010

Continued from above
families further behind as our nation lags and our economy falters.
He believes that the process should begin again, in a bipartisan, strategic fashion so we can have a bill many more Idahoans and Americans can support.
I will conclude with a plea. It's unfortunate that the health care issue has so overwhelmed the many others that folks once seemed to care about passionately: choice, civil rights, conservation, education, etc. Issues where I am sure you and Walt have much more agreement than disagreement, and where his voting record should make you proud.

It is a sad commentary on our political climate and culture that one issue can cause such bitter division and nasty political rhetoric. I hope that once the health care vote is concluded in the House, we can all begin working together to make sure Walt's seat does not revert back to another Bill Sali.

Best regards -
JF

John M. Foster | Campaign Manager
Walt Minnick for Congress
[e-mail]
208.559.3547 (cell)
@rightforidaho (Twitter)

[BroncoSandi]

07:55 PM on 03/19/2010

WALT IS NOT WAIVERING. THIS IS THE LETTER HE SENT ME TODAY.
Greetings:

Thanks for writing with your thoughts on health care. As I am sure you know, this issue is one of the most difficult to ever come before the Congress, and it's been one that Walt has considered with a great deal of thoughtful reflection and study.

Although you strongly support passage of the bill, I hope you will take a moment to understand Walt's reasons for deciding to vote against it. First, he continues to have grave concerns about the fiscal calculations in this bill and fears many of the savings envisioned will in fact never materialize. Second, the bill does not do enough to actually reduce the costs built into the system, particularly in the high-cost states where Medicare reimbursement rates are out-of-control -- states being subsidized by those of us in low-cost states such as Idaho. And third, this bill is strictly partisan, written with very little input from across the political spectrum, making it highly likely that it will someday be repealed in part or in full.

Walt's vote should by no means be interpreted as an opposition to improving our health care system, reducing costs or providing care to more Idahoans. He still believes in the need for real reform, if for no other reason than he understands as well as anyone that doing nothing means continuing to put Idaho businesses and

CONTINUED BELOW

[Gatormouth]

01:12 PM on 03/04/2010

Minnick may be pondering the fate of Blanch Lincoln. There is plenty of room left in the life boat she is going to be cast off in. But so long as he exhibits solidarity by voting cloture if called for, he need not worry. Vote your heart (or pocket book), satisfy your constituents, but if a filibuster happens support the party you claim to be a member of if you want to continue your relation with it..

[FutureUnperson]

09:45 AM on 03/04/2010

The update at the bottom of the article says it all.

[sc300nc]

09:13 AM on 03/04/2010

How much is Pelosi going to pay him off for his vote? He wants something.

[Gaylord P Farqua]

07:47 AM on 03/04/2010

Oh, Mr. Minnick, there is an envelope from American Family Healthcare, "the folks who never cancel you on Sunday" on your desk.

[exPatPatti]

06:30 AM on 03/04/2010

This guy is no Democrat.

[Johnathan Plate]

05:07 AM on 03/04/2010

He will not be reelected, he should do us all a favor and vote for a public option. and side with people in Idaho, were some counties are facing 35% unoffical unemployments, and 16.9 official unemployment.

I mean the idaho democratic party isn't running someone agianst Crapo in the senate.

I have called and voiced my opinion to his office, and his staff are rude and do a disservice to Idaho.

Hell, senator Crapo's office is nicer on the phone then Minnicks.

[Dan Bimrose]

04:45 AM on 03/04/2010

Democrats need to start acting like Democrats. The left needs to offer alternatives to existing conservadems in every congressional primary.

[Raster]

04:16 AM on 03/04/2010

In addition, how about getting the $1 trillion/year defense + wars budget paid for an a say, pay-as-you-go basis too?

[kgb999]

03:00 AM on 03/04/2010

Oh give me a break. Minnick hasn't met with democrats all year - he has literally been doing teabagger rallies with Simpson down south where he (again, literally) hurls insults at the democratic voters in more liberal areas of the state (yeah, we have a couple liberal spots here in Idaho).

He will never support the democrats on this. Period. Take that to the bank. He will not vote for this or any bill.

Of all the blue dogs that need to go - he is high on the list. He served his purpose to get rid of Sali, but his voting record is actually more conservative even than neocon Sali. One of the few places where getting a republican will likely be a move to the left.

[maslin]

09:44 AM on 03/04/2010

I take it you're an Idahoan.

There's still some possibility IMO, just as there is possibility for the other Blue Dogs.

It might not be likely - and I hear you that it is not in this case - but it's still possible.

[slithers]

02:51 AM on 03/04/2010

Gotta love the neo-liberal rebranding of moderate democrats as conservative democrats.

[kgb999]

03:08 AM on 03/04/2010

RU kidding me? This guy is my rep - I get his fliers all the time. He used to serve in the Nixon administration. He is as conservative as they come. It's not like he's hiding it. "Conservative democrat" is his self-selected brand.

We just didn't expect him to be more conservative than most republicans.

[SilenceDogood23]

02:24 AM on 03/04/2010

Walt Minnick is PERFECT for Idaho. He doesn't buy into the partisan bull that takes place in DC. As an independent Idahoan who loathes Obama AND Bush Minnick has more than earned my respect. I'll be voting for him again.

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK WALT!!!!!

[kgb999]

03:11 AM on 03/04/2010

Whooo boy. That makes one of you. The idiot refused to appropriate and let Bohner and McCaskill take the federal funds that should have come to Idaho. Another back-woods rube falls for the "don't earmark" scam. It's not like we get a federal tax refund - we just don't get any roads or schools!

[SilenceDogood23]

03:21 AM on 03/05/2010

Earmarks are the least of my worries, they make up .00045% of the budget. I'm worried about the other 99.99955% and Minnick is one of the few Democrats in Congress that's worried about it too. Idaho has no reason to elect Pelosi style Democrats or Craig style Republicans, they offer nothing to this state and represent us poorly.

What do you want Sali back?????

[kelzk]

02:11 AM on 03/04/2010

Before jumping down his throat, don't forget what state he comes from. The fact that he's even seemingly considering voting yes is something that should be commended. He spoke to my College Democrats group at the University of Idaho a few months ago and I was genuinely impressed by his thought process in terms of legislation. I went in resenting him for voting against key legislation over the past year, but I can respect a member of Congress who actually seems to use his brain and think ahead--even if I don't completely agree with his votes.

But by all means, keep crucifying him for not toeing the line every step of the way. We'll probably have another Republican in office just like Mike Simpson or Mike Crapo by next year since no one seems to get what a moderate really is.

[kgb999]

03:21 AM on 03/04/2010

He never considered voting yes. He was sending me anti-reform literature for months (kind of tapered off recently). This is some AMAZINGLY wishful thinking.

And for the record, his votes are technically more conservative than Simpson (or anyone else in the NW delegation).

...[the only Democrat in the House to score more conservative than the “least conservative” Republican – Idaho’s Walt Minnick, at 359.5, which puts him just about in the middle of the House Republican caucus, and more “conservative” than, for example, Simpson. No other Democrat or Republican scores across the line at all.]...

For a great post on his real record:
http://mountaingoatreport.typepad.com/the_mountaingoat_report/2009/08/walt-minnick-democrat.html