Top House Liberal Suggests He Could Accept Deal On Senate Bill
In a sign that House liberals may be bracing to swallow much of the Senate bill with minimal changes, a key House progressive suggested in an interview with me that he might be able to support a bill without a public component, if the coverage in the bill were to kick in earlier than it currently does in the Senate proposal.
Rep Raul Grijalva, who as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus is well respected by liberals, acknowledged the potential for supporting the bill under these conditions, making public what House aides have only said privately until now.
Grijalva cautioned, however, that House liberals would continue fighting for some kind of public component and would have trouble supporting the bill unless they were handed some kind of victory.
In the inteview, Grijalva confirmed that House Dems were beginning to discuss the idea of revising the Senate bill in conference to move up the implementation date for insurance coverage and make it more in line with the earlier date in the House bill.
I asked Grijalva if he could support the bill if such a change were made, even if it lacked a public option or other similar concessions sought by liberals.
“It would sweeten it somewhat,” Grijalva said, “if they speed up the coverage mechanism.”
He added: “That would be something I’d have to look at very closely.”
Asked if he was suggesting that he’s open to supporting such an outcome, Grijalva answered in the affirmative, but insisted that he would have to evaluate the changes in conference before making any decision. He said House liberals would continue to push for a public component and a repeal of the anti-trust exemption for insurance companies. And he demanded that conference negotiations not merely “rubber stamp” the Senate bill.
“We need a win on our side of the aisle,” Grijalva said. “That’s very important politically.”
But he seemed to hint that many liberals were bracing to accept something much more in line with the Senate bill than they would have hoped: “It’s gonna be a tough swallow.”
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Governing means making tough decisions. That means invariably, inevitably, you are going to have to make votes or decisions that are “tough to swallow.” Welcome to the Biz.
OT, why the downward-revised GDP isn’t that bad news:
The Commerce Department revised its third-quarter gross domestic product estimate downward to a 2.2% annual rate, below the 2.7% rate economists had expected. Still, part of the reason the estimate was revised lower was due to lower inventory investments, which Eric Thorne, senior vice president at Bryn Mawr Trust, said “could set the stage for a better economy over the next several quarters.”
A report on November existing home sales was particularly strong. Used-home sales rose by 7.4%, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday, more than double the 3.3% increase economists had expected.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-stocks-rise-after-strong-housing-data-djia-up-45-2009-12-22
This seems too easy; House libs are lining up too quick. I smell a deal for pushing PO or medicare expansion through budget reconciliation–a deal that everyone’s been told to keep on the QT.
Greg, is anybody talking about next steps, specifically what could be passed through reconciliation?
House progressives will accept it because it is the moral and responsible thing to do. Growing up my mom told me life wasn’t fair. Often times the people who are immoral, stubborn, and irrational get more power and influence than they deserve. But America is still winning by passing near-universal health care.
They aren’t going to get a public option. I really thought we might make it through with it, but I was wrong about that. The PO ship has sailed.
That said…progressives in the House SHOULD be saying they still intend to fight for a PO in conference. They should do this for negotiating purposes. Still demanding a PO means that they can get some consessions when combining the bills.
It’s true we won’t see major changes (no PO…though I still hope). But we could see some meaningful minor changes – strengthening the regulatioins on insurance companies, playing with the subsities, etc. It’s still possible to make this a much better bill, even if they can’t get a PO back in.
And since the bill cannot be changed after it’s out of conference….expect the full weight of the White House (and history) to come down on ConservaDems and Liberals to vote for the final product.
converse, I’ve always thought get this bill through. Deal with passing a strong PO to add into the mix of insurance in the insurance pool. Heck, even my wife who is clueless about U.S. policy asked why they don’t do the same…pass this now. Put the option in later. Besides, the pool of insurances doesn’t take affect until something like 2012 or something. They’ve got plenty of time to push it through the reconciliation process.
If they’re going to ceremonial throw a bone to the progressives for face-saving purposes, and a PO is out, I would really like to see them start the exchanges and subsidies earlier. I don’t think people are really going to grok how much potential good this bill can do until they see a subsidized premium. The sooner it happens, the more likely the bill is to thrive without a serious threat of repeal.
Congress Woman Michelle Bachman is:
A Federal Government “Welfare Queen”!
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/michelle_bachman_welfare_queen_20091221/
Excerpt:
“Michele Bachmann has become well known for her anti-government tea-bagger antics, protesting health care reform and every other government “handout” as socialism. What her followers probably don’t know is that Rep. Bachmann is, to use that anti-government slur, something of a welfare queen. That’s right, the anti-government insurrectionist has taken more than a quarter-million dollars in government handouts thanks to corrupt farming subsidies she has been collecting for at least a decade.”
converse — there’s no discussion in leadership offices of reconciliation at all…
If House Democrats are going to hold out for any kind of victory, they should focus on removing the two most odious provisions in the Senate bill: the individual mandate, and the Nelson abortion language. Remove those provisions (and the Stupak language from the House bill) and House progressives will get a pass.
” The PO ship has sailed.”
Ethan…yes for now the ship has sailed..but how far?…yesterday Tom Harkin talked about bringing it back to port next year.
Greg, if you wanted conservative Dems like Landrieu, Lincoln, Nelson and weenies like Lieberman to vote for cloture, would you let it out of the bag there is a plan to push a strong PO later via reconciliation?
I guess we’ll know in a year or two if this will ever be in the works.
Senator Chuck Grassley is a long time “Welfare Queen”!
http://www.truthdig.com/report/print/michelle_bachman_welfare_queen_20091221/
Excerpt:
“Chuck Grassley, the longtime Republican senator from Iowa who warns his constituents of Obama’s “trend toward socialism,” has seen his family collect $1 million in federal handouts over an 11-year period, with Grassley’s son receiving $699,248 and the senator himself pocketing $238,974. Even Grassley’s grandson is learning to ride through life on training wheels, snagging $5,964 in 2005 and $2,363 in 2006. In the Grassley family they learn early how to enjoy other people’s money.
Sen. Grassley railed against government intervention in the health care market, telling The Washington Times, “Whenever the government does more … that’s a movement toward socialism.” As the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, he ought to know, especially because the government has done more for him and his kin than for Americans struggling with high medical bills and mortgages. Even the free-market think tank the Heritage Foundation criticized Grassley on his deep connections to farming interests and his stubborn lack of transparency. “
OT, omg this is classic.
“Barry from D.C.” calls in to Gov. Tim Kaine’s Ask the Governor radio show:
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/12/22/kaine_gets_surprise_call.html
Liam-
Re; welfare queens. I’ve been reading about Sam Rayburn recently and after 17 years as Speaker and a lifetime in gov’t, he had $15,000 in savings. He was obsessive about not being “bought”. I’m not necessarily saying they should be compared to him but I’m not necessarily saying they shouldn’t, either.
@rukidding
“Ethan…yes for now the ship has sailed..but how far?”
Uh, were you asking Ethan…or me, since I’m the one that said what you were quoting?
My statment was limited to the current bill. It’s a step forward, but every aspect of this bill could be improved – and will, in the future. Re-visiting the public option is something I’m sure will come up again…though I’d bet it will be framed as a “medicare buy-in for all” when it does.
On the previous post the point was being argued about the legality of a Federal mandate on citizens to have insurance.
Since republicans and some progressives don’t like this idea then we should treat this like our national security. The government pays for it and everyone gets it. That way the government can decide how much tax to charge the citizens for health care just like it does for national security.
You won’t see me or any other conservative doing much defending of Grassley. Whatever principles he has, they aren’t conservative.
From POLITICO:
“A senior GOP aide tells POLITICO that the Senate will definitely stay in through Christmas Eve — despite Harry Reid’s comments that they may leave town tomorrow.
The question, now, is precisely when the final vote will be held. It’s possible that the GOP will yield back time on Dec. 24 so the vote could be held earlier in the day. And the GOP may allow the debt-limit increase to go through that day as well — provided they get a commitment on votes for amendments to the next debt-limit increase, which will occur in February.
If they agree to all that, the Senate won’t return next week. This will all be sorted out at the parties’ lunches today.”
‘A hard swallow’ I won’t even touch that line.
No ‘Public option’ No mandates. Otherwise this is nothing but a gift to the insurance racketeers.
QB,
You said you will not defend Senator Grassley.
What about Congresswoman Bachmann?
Congress Woman Michelle Bachman is:
A Federal Government “Welfare Queen”!
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/michelle_bachman_welfare_queen_20091221/
Excerpt:
“Michele Bachmann has become well known for her anti-government tea-bagger antics, protesting health care reform and every other government “handout” as socialism. What her followers probably don’t know is that Rep. Bachmann is, to use that anti-government slur, something of a welfare queen. That’s right, the anti-government insurrectionist has taken more than a quarter-million dollars in government handouts thanks to corrupt farming subsidies she has been collecting for at least a decade.”
@BBQ…Sorry yes I meant you with the ship sailing analogy…
“though I’d bet it will be framed as a “medicare buy-in for all” when it does.”
I hope you are correct. This is the cleanest and easiest plan to sell. I accept Tena’s point about not changing things overnight and so I support a buyin @55 with an incremental lowering of age until we finally get to Medicare for all.
You move up the implementation date and it totally shatters the already ridiculous illusion that this sh*t sandwich saves money. The House version was scored by the CBO as costing over $1 Trillion.
And it looks as if Grijalva is just as spineless as the liberals in the Senate who caved on this. What a joke.
How can this captiulation happen so fast- yesterday Grijalva was saying he would fight in conference, progressive groups were beginning to work on the progressive dems—- the Rahm machine must be pretty strong to shut down the progressives overnight.
“We need a political win on this side of the aisle.”
a) this won’t give it to you anywhere but within the Village.
B) Holding firm, would have given you a much better chance.
C) America doesn’t give the first **** about you “getting a win.” They voted for a good bill.
D) thanks for capitulating before the negotiations even started. That’s how we know you’re a true progressive in Congress.
“QB,
You said you will not defend Senator Grassley.
What about Congresswoman Bachmann?”
My problems with Grassley are way beyond and different from any farm subsidies he or his family have received. He just isn’t very conservative or consistent.
Bachmann, however, is in fact a principled conservative. The ridiculous federal agriculture welfare state is what it is — mainly a legacy of your party and your hero FDR. If you farm — as Bachmann’s family does — that’s the system in which you must operate.
So, no, Bachmann and Grassley aren’t the same to me, and I suspect that if one could know their innermost thoughts about our ridiculous system of federal ag subsidies and manipulations, they wouldn’t be the same.
This should really come as no surprise to anyone. You had to kind of figure, when the best they could get through House ended up looking pretty much like the Waxman compromise — with silly abortion language added at that — that the final bill was likely to end up looking a lot like the Baucus bill. It was really up to the house to raise the asking price and the votes just weren’t there to do it.
So I had kind of resigned myself to the Baucus bill at that point. I never really gave up hoping for better but I had to admit, you could also do a lot worse. Ask Bill Clinton or Tom Dashle — or a few million people with pre-existing medical conditions of various kinds. And there’s always a next time.
It appears Bachmann has voted against reauthorization of ag subsidies. I doubt that is true of Grassley.
If there is no strong Public Option, there will be no votes for Democrats from me in 2010. The Green Party keeps looking better and better.
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