Reid To Hold Presser Today To Announce Health Care Decision
Okay, get ready. Game on.
Senator Harry Reid, who’s huddling with senior aides as we speak, has decided to hold a presser today at 3:15 in the Capitol to announce his decision on what to include in the final health care bill, a senior Senate aide confirms.
According to multiple, anonymously sourced reports — see this from TPM and this from NBC, for instance — Reid is poised to include a public option with an opt out in the bill.
Now we’ll soon hear it directly from Reid himself. Getting interesting.
This blog’s homepage is here. RSS feed here. Twitter feed here. Email me here.
As much as I dread the announcement having some last minute change, or the bill sinking, or something else that stops the momentum we have for HCR going…I only have one thing to say to this:
“How exciting!”
Hey Greg: What happens if Reid can’t get cloture? Do they amend the bill on the floor?
Everyone notice how the Republicans were right when they said the Dems were going to use Kennedy’s death politically to push health care through?
Yeah, me neither.
sbj — would be added as amendment, presumably
God speed…
@Greg: “sbj — would be added as amendment, presumably.”
Does this mean that Reid would have to rewrite the bill first – more in line with Baucus, and then submit that one for cloture. And then there would be an attempt to add the PO as an amendment? (But then, wouldn’t that amendment necessarily fail, because that would again put the entire bill in jeopardy?)
Greg
Didn’t you believe me this morning when I quoted CNN and WSJ having the same info about the opt-out? The presser is news though.
sbj
Let’s verify what Reid is doing first before we come out with all these scenarios. I presume if Reid is going forward with opt-out PO he would be fairly confident of votes for cloture.
Hey Greg. SBJ wants to know what happens if they can’t get cloture. This time he asks it as if the answer would be really really different than the answers he got, all the other times he asked it.
FUDmaster SBJ at work. He has a Blackbelt in planting FUD(Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt)
He SBJ, What happens if they get Cloture? Scary stuff for you, right as Halloween approaches. Cloture approaches. Hide under your bed; FUDmaster!
Wow, now this is news. I am kind of dumb struck that the Senate is about to announce what it’s bill would look like going into conference, we’ve come so damn far from the 2008 elections.
@lmsinca: “Let’s verify what Reid is doing first before we come out with all these scenarios. I presume if Reid is going forward with opt-out PO he would be fairly confident of votes for cloture.”
I was just sincerely curious – I’m not quite sure how this shakes out. Politics is like chess – you need to think several moves ahead. (Too bad Reid is a boxer!) For instance I am wondering, does the CBO score the reid bill before they vote?
And I would not be so confident that Reid wouldn’t announce without the votes – he has pulled bills back on more than one occasion – voting no himself to insure he could bring it up again.
Hey Greg – What happens if Godzilla flies in from outer-space and threatens to vote No on Cloture? Does that mean that the evil Dems need to spend more taxpayer money on a death ray to kill the giant lizard?
What happens what happens what happens…… if if if ahh umm ahh ummm…
How could the administrators of a Public Option set Insurance Premium rates, if an Opt-Out Option will be a constant threat to change how many people can or can not join the PO? What if a State is in, and two years later, decide to Opt-Out? What would happen to the Public Option members in a State that later on decides to Opt-Out? Who would make the call? The Governor, or the Legislature? Would it be by a simple majority vote, or would it need a super majority vote? Who decides what rules to apply on the decision? Would it not become a drawn out court battle over a State’s right to set the rules, versus the Federal Gov?
Could a State Opt-In. Then Opt-Out, and Then Opt-In, when control of the State changes from one party to the other? Lots more questions, like this, but you get my drift.
That sounds like it would take a straight forward standard national option, and turn it into an administrative nightmare. More staff required, which means more overhead costs. Dumb Dumb Dumb.
What if they can’t get cloture. Will they have to drop everything and start from scratch? What will happen then Greg?
Honestly though. I don’t think it really matters what the Senate bill has in it. The House bill will have a decent PO it’s looking like. When these bills go to committee and merged is when things will get interesting.
At that point, the WH will be throwing everything they got behind the merged bill. Up until this moment, they’ve remained in the background.
Considering the enormity of this sweeping legislation, not only from a legislative perspective, but from a political and defining moment both for the party and for this administration, I’m curiously waiting to see what platform the administration decides to use to present this to the public.
Godzilla’s a good guy!
Ethan, maybe tax cuts would solve the giant lizard problem as it does with every other problem our country faces, according to the GOP.
“Yeah, me neither.”
What Happens If SBJ Stops Asking “What Happens If…”
Will the entire legislative process grind to a halt, and the earth swing out of it’s orbit, and fall into the Sun?
Seriously; I really really want to know.
Wow! Really touched a nerve…
Not really FUDmaster. I just enjoy lampooning your repetitive feeble attempts to plant your FUD.
Time for you to get a new plant trowel. Your old “What If” trowel is rusted out.
Trowels? C’mon, liam – how about Garden Weasel or something a bit more trendy? Weak.
What If Global Warming Turns Senator Snowe, Into Senator Water?
Will her support for Health Care Reform just melt away?
“maybe tax cuts would solve the giant lizard problem as it does with every other problem our country faces, according to the GOP.”
Yes. That’s the answer! Tax cuts!
Not a government takeover of the giant lizard killing industrial complex! That’s Reptiliofascism!
“Not a government takeover of the giant lizard killing industrial complex! That’s Reptiliofascism!”
LOL!
Tax Cuts, and a Giant Lizards Monitoring, No Bid Contract For Halliburton, is the way to go.
Giant Lizards are Too Big To Fail.
sbj
According to the WSJ this morning, he’s presenting the bill then it goes to CBO and will be made public. I hope they present an “English” version without all the legislative language so I can read it.
“Senate leaders plan to submit the bill to the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate as soon as Monday, and make the legislation public as soon as Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.”
Perfect Liam
Liam
I agree that this is not the greatest idea we’ve ever heard for a PO, but if it gets it to conference with the House, maybe all will work out better in the end. It’s a hell of a lot better than the “Trigger”.
@lmsinca: Thanks – I missed your link to the WSJ.
I told y’all I was gonna lose on opt-out.
It’s a stupid idea, but there is enough support to just abandon red state Democrats like this.
SMH
Guys, I just found out the solution to getting health care passed right HERE .
…and gals.
Democrats; Want a Winner to Campaign on in 2010.
If the Republicans Filibuster Health Care Reform,
Declare that Republicans have killed it, which they would have.
Oh ****, found a reason why not to get health care passed. I’m on the fence after this video.
mikefromArlington – I’m literally rolling on the floor after that 2d video, alternately crying and laughing uncontrollably.
LOL
OMG, mike that second one reminded me of the old SNL skit of Julia Childs, do you remember that one? That guy bleeding from every ******* on his face was truly gross.
Liam:
“What if a State is in, and two years later, decide to Opt-Out?”
Maybe you can send in the Army to force them back in.
Kinda worked last time.
But amazingly, you manage to bring up a valid point.
If their states Opt Out, do their citizens still have a Public Option?
If their states Opt In, do the citizens of that state have a personal Opt-Out of the Public Option?
Do the states that Opt Out still have to tax their citizens for the benefit of the Opt In states’ citizens?
I remember it = Dan Akroyd. “Oopsie!”
Wow, o*r*i*f*i*c*e
“If their states Opt Out, do their citizens still have a Public Option?”
Why would they? That’s the whole point. We get exactly nothing if our governors decide to hold out.
That comedy reminds me of this one that came out during the elections.
And there will be a lot of politcal hay being made by the right on the backs of the citizens who are unlucky enough to have the GOP in charge of their states – we’re being punished for not electing Democrats, as if we didn’t try.
Or at least, that’s how it feels to me.
Nope, but I’ll look it up.
Tena:
“Why would they? That’s the whole point. We get exactly nothing if our governors decide to hold out.”
Saddam provided health care, and HIS version of Opt Out really cut some costs!
@liam and tena: I thought we weren’t supposed to engage in “what if” scenarios?
The Dan Aykroyd Julia Child skit is an all-time favorite. That, and Bass-o-Matic.
Bilgeman – I’m breaking my rule about ignoring you for this:
Pbthbthbthbthbthbthb!!!!!
ROFLMAO!
Tena:
“we’re being punished for not electing Democrats,”
No…you’re being impoverished BECAUSE Democrats were elected, and now want YOU to pay for their constutents’ health care in addition to paing your own way.
It’s like sending your kids to private schools because the public system is so bad, (Like the Nobel Prize-winning Alleged Hawaiian does with his daughters in DC), you STILL have to pay taxes to support the bad schools.
Which is why moonbats dislike the school voucher program…they cannot have excellence anywhere because it shows up the state’s failures.
I repeat (and for the last time);
Pbthbthbthbthbthbthb!!!!!
ROFLMAO!
An Important Public Message From AHIP
We here at AHIP provide Excellent Health Care Coverage, and we have many millions of Healthy People who will attest to that.
Why let an organized group of sick malcontents ruin it for all you healthy people?
Healthy People, who never run up any medical bills, are in good hands with AHIP. Do not let a bunch of sickos ruin it for all of you.
Remember: As long as you Stay Healthy, AHIP Will Stay With You!
Senator Lincoln won’t commit to backing cloture for Reid’s plan:
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/senator-lincoln-non-committal-on-public-option-with-opt-out/
For the people by the people, but in this administration the people are not heard, how is that possible. Did they not drop it the first time because the people spoke out in the town hall meetings, but that means nothing to these ellected few, in power. The goverment is only as good as its people, anything other, is not part of this great ecxperiment; the USA!
Teabagger Nut Jobs are not The People. They are the FAUX News Rabble, and that is all they are.
This is an emotional issue for many Americans. This so-called “public option” in Government run health care presents serious challenges for us. As Consumers we should be able to compare the cost and quality of health care services. How much is a specific surgery at one hospital, as compared with another? http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/media/
I posted your article to my myspace profile.