WH to Post HCR Proposal Online Monday 2/22

[Clio the Leo]

White House: Dems near accord on health care bill
By CHARLES BABINGTON (AP) – 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON — The White House and congressional leaders are preparing a detailed health care proposal designed to win passage without Republican support if GOP lawmakers fail to embrace bipartisan compromises at President Barack Obama's summit next week.

A senior White House official said Thursday that Democratic negotiators are resolving final differences in House and Senate health bills that passed last year with virtually no Republican help. The White House plans to post the proposals online by Monday morning, three days ahead of the Feb. 25 summit, which GOP leaders are approaching warily.

The comments signal that Obama and Congress' Democratic leaders still plan to use assertive and sometimes controversial parliamentary powers to enact a far-reaching health care bill if no GOP lawmakers get on board. Republicans and conservative activists have denounced such a strategy, and it's unclear whether enough House and Senate Democrats would back it. Both parties have used the strategy, known as reconciliation, in the past.

Obama says he is open to Republican ideas for changing the health care legislation. But many Democrats seriously doubt GOP leaders will support compromises that could draw enough lawmakers from both parties to create a bipartisan majority.

The negotiations, led by Democratic leaders with White House input, are meant to determine what changes must be made to the Senate-passed bill for House Democrats to accept it, the administration official said. The goal is to craft a reconciled measure that Senate Democrats can pass, under rules barring GOP filibusters, unless Republicans offer acceptable changes at next week's summit.

Democrats lost their ability to block filibusters when Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown won a Senate seat last month.

The White House official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Thursday that Obama plans to have a health care proposal that "will take some of the best ideas and put them into a framework" ahead of the Feb. 25 summit.

(more)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jlMpJGn28kqCcgU-aGcYE_ZHW-ywD9DUO7L00

[Jennicut]

1. "assertive and sometimes controversial parliamentary powers"..how dare Obama do that!

LOL

[quiet.american]

2. Thanks for the heads up. I'm assuming DU will go to Defcon Level 1 at 12am Mon. :) nt

[BlueIdaho]

3. What do republican'ts want?

An end to Social Security, an end to Medicare, allowing insurance companies to operate their corporations from a state that minimizes consumer protections while maximizing profits. They want to eliminate malpractice lawsuits and encourage insurance companies to drop anyone with preexisting conditions from their insurance pools.

If this is our choice - then I'll take "assertive" parliamentary procedures any day...