by Mark Silva
President Barack Obama, ready to make his case-closing argument for healthcare reform with a statement tomorrow, issued a lettter to congressional leaders of both parties today stating where he believes there still is room for common ground.
The president suggests that leaders have moved beyond "the usual rhetoric and sound-bites'' of the debate, even as "government takeover'' and "starting from scratch'' dominate the continuing debate. In his letter today to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Obama susggests that they have identified "areas on which we agree and disagree.''
"One point on which everyone expressed agreement was that the cost of health care is a large and growing problem that, left untended, threatens families, businesses and the solvency of our government itself,'' the president said of his bipartisan summit at Blair House last week. "I also left convinced that the Republican and Democratic approaches to health care have more in common than most people think.''
They agree, he said, on reforming the insurance markets, allowing small businesses and individuals who lack insurance to pool their purchasing power, wringing out "waste, fraud and abuse'' and controlling "skyrocketing health care costs.''
Their "fundamental disagreement:'' The government's role in the oversight of the health insurance industry.
In the "spirit'' of bipartisanship, he said, he is open to:
-- Stepped up action against fraud and waste, crediting Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) for the idea of engaging medical professionals to make random undercover investigations of health care providers that receive reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal programs.
-- Pilot programs in medical malpractice resolution, crediting Coburn and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) for a bill providing grants to states for demonstration programs. He is open, he said, to an appropriation of $50 million to support these grants.
-- Increasing reimbursements to doctors handling Medicaid-supported patients, crediting Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for pointing out inadequacies in many places.
-- Encouraging health-savings plans coupled with high-deductible healthcare plans to encourage more cost-consciousness among consumers, crediting Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
"Admittedly, there are areas on which Republicans and Democrats don't agree,'' the president wrote. "While we all believe that reform must be built around our existing private health insurance system, I believe that we must hold the insurance industry to clear rules, so they can't arbitrarily raise rates or reduce or eliminate coverage. That must be a part of any serious reform to make it work for the many Americans who have insurance coverage today, as well as those who don't.
"I also believe that piecemeal reform is not the best way to effectively reduce premiums, end the exclusion of people with pre-existing conditions or offer Americans the security of knowing that they will never lose coverage, even if they lose or change jobs.''
Finally, he said, "Over the course of a yearlong dialogue... both parties agree that the health care status quo is unsustainable. And both should agree that it's just not an option to walk away from the millions of American families and business owners counting on reform. After decades of trying, we're closer than we've ever been to making health insurance reform a reality''
It's time to finish the job, he said, with "a truly historic achievement.''
Comments
Republicans are spending every ounce of their breath saying some combination of the following bs:
1) Start over
2) Your plan isn't popular
3) We've got a plan too
Here's the thing about #2 and #3: to the extent that they're true, their plan is less popular than the Democratic plan. Much less popular. People may not like the bills passed by the House and Senate (Congress is never popular), but even now, they still trust President Obama over Republicans on health care -- and by a wide margin.
.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/02/11/disaffected-public-still-sides-with-obama-more-than-the-republic/
Nothing Republicans said last week changed that. Odds are, they just made things worse for themselves.
Posted by: Planet Wingnutia | March 2, 2010 1:34 PM
It's nice to see Repilicans are getting called out for their latest Lie - saying that Democrats passing the health reform bill through reconciliation is the same as the nuclear option. The Repug cretins are more than well aware that they are lying since they constantly threatened to use the nuclear option and change the rules of the Senate when they wanted to get Bush's judicial appointments confirmed.
Budget reconciliation is how the health care system has been formed in the United States already and Republicans used reconciliation to pass the Bush tax cuts, twice. And it's been used to pass things like COBRA and SCHIP.
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/rachel-maddow-calls-out-republicans-and-me
-
Posted by: Larry Schmidt | March 2, 2010 1:36 PM
I say we give Republicans their blank sheet of paper
PUT A BLANK SHEET IN THE HEALTH CARE BILL and mark that down as their contribution.
"THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK PER REQUEST OF THE 2010 REPUBLICAN PARTY"
Posted by: nothing from nothing leaves nothing | March 2, 2010 1:41 PM
HERE'S YOUR HANDY GUIDE SHOWING YOU WHICH REPUBLICAN SENATORS BACKED RECONCILIATION WHEN REPUBLICANS WERE IN POWER (hint: nealy all of them)
Here's a comprehensive chart detailing which Republican Senators who are currently in office have voted for measures passed via reconciliation over the last 20 years:
*
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/chart-your-handy-guide-to-gop-senators-who-backed-reconciliation/
*
Posted by: Victor Murray | March 2, 2010 1:47 PM
Same old cut and paste posters with all the wit of leftwing loons. There are things that NEED to be done to reduce the cost of healthcare. Adding more patients into the system without providing more Doctors, hospitals, and nurses won't lower the costs even in the alternate universe of the democrats.
Here's an idea, instead of allowing millions of illegal Mexican peasants to continue to flood our emergency rooms and hospitals, why not encourage doctors, nurses to immigrate and build some hospitals. And, close the border.
Posted by: Free to Watch Whatever I Want | March 2, 2010 2:20 PM
Two Swamp articles on health care.
Versus zero Swamp articles on the fact that David Vitter still hasn't resigned.
Versus zero Swamp articles on the fact that Jon Ensign and Mark Sanford also still haven't resigned
Versus zero Swamp articles on .....
All this is one reason why 71% of the American people think that Fox is biased (according to the latest Pew Poll).
Posted by: Unequal time | March 2, 2010 2:41 PM
These Republican liars and hypocrites have nothing to offer but a blank piece of paper. The cowards are incapable of any independent thinking or of even making their own decisions. They are street prostitutes, owned by big oil, big business, and the corrupt insurance companies. They are walking talking contradictions, the whole lot of them from John Boner to 'bug eyes' McConnell on down. The goal of the GOP is to wreck working and middle class Americans.
Posted by: Doug R. | March 2, 2010 2:49 PM
YEEEEAAAAAH free everything for everyone. HOOOOORAAAAAY for Barry!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Posted by: LibTaed | March 2, 2010 3:28 PM
Obama calls this latest ObamaReidPelosiCare a "truly historic" achievementl.
Of course, there's been so many bills (Senate 1, 2, 3; House 1, 2; Obama 1 and now 2), "truly historic" or not, that it's sorta hard to believe what he says. Or even keep track of what he says. Or even read what he proposes, since the White House (in their love of "transparency") tends to hide the actual text of the bills they talk about.
But don't worry, Obama fans. He'll unveil yet another "truly historic" bill--or more accurately, no bill but rather a press release--in another week or so!
Posted by: Amused by Obama | March 2, 2010 3:32 PM
Yes it may go down in history as the bill that destroyed the loony Democrat fringe. The majority of the voters are still against this bill so let the liberals push the button on the nuclear option. And it is being called the nuclear option because 51 votes is still just 51 votes no matter if it's being used for a tax cut, a judges nomination, or passing a tax and spend bill. What you loony liberals do not understand is that the majority see it for what it is no matter what the liberals in the mainstream media tried to say.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | March 2, 2010 3:44 PM
AAHHHH, BUT WHAT DOES DUMB OL' WARREN BUFFETT KNOW????
Warren Buffett would scrap health care bill
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett advised President Barack Obama on Monday to scrap the health care bill and start over.
*
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/33693.html
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | March 2, 2010 4:01 PM
----------------------------------------
Yes it may go down in history as the bill that destroyed the loony Democrat fringe. The majority of the voters are still against this bill so let the liberals push the button on the nuclear option.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | March 2, 2010 3:44 PM
------------------------------
You're lying again, Clown.
First of all, health care is popular, which is the real reason why Republicans oppose it.
.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/02/11/disaffected-public-still-sides-with-obama-more-than-the-republic/
.
And secondly, you're purposely confusing the 'nuclear option' with 'reconciliation'....again.
.
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/p/o/politicaltruths/2010/02/rachel-maddow-expose-gop-lie-o.php?ref=recdc
.
Posted by: HHH | March 2, 2010 4:03 PM
"This truly historic healthcare bill is unprecedented" says historically unprecedented achievement seeking President.
Posted by: Chris | March 2, 2010 4:32 PM
Has the gov't run any social program that meets the customers' needs and come in under its original budget?
Here is an example of the federal gov't running health care.
http://www.reznetnews.org/article/indian-health-cares-broken-promises-35270
Just think, this fiasco could be for all 300 million of us. Or we could be like Medicare or Social Security, which the customers' love, but is putting the country into bankruptcy.
Posted by: Terry | March 2, 2010 6:28 PM
Time to move on health reform. Its now or never!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8e1dncD3XI
Posted by: Talkdiva2 | March 2, 2010 6:28 PM
Diva,
I'll take never and save our economy.
Posted by: Terry | March 2, 2010 7:40 PM
-----------------------------------
Has the gov't run any social program that meets the customers' needs and come in under its original budget?
Posted by: Terry | March 2, 2010 6:28 PM
--------------------
I've yet to see a gov't program meltdown the entire US economy the way Wall Street did when the Bush Republicans let them operate like a casino, Poser Terry.
Posted by: HHH | March 2, 2010 7:58 PM
Same old cut and paste posters with all the wit of leftwing loons. There are things that NEED to be done to reduce the cost of healthcare. Adding more patients into the system without providing more Doctors, hospitals, and nurses won't lower the costs even in the alternate universe of the democrats.
Here's an idea, instead of allowing millions of illegal Mexican peasants to continue to flood our emergency rooms and hospitals, why not encourage doctors, nurses to immigrate and build some hospitals. And, close the border.
Posted by: Free to Watch Whatever I Want | March 3, 2010 12:27 AM
Triple H.
Did you just read the headline or did you take the time to read the whole article. I think The Politics Daily article may have been too much for you to grasp. And you still getting your facts from a blog and to top it off from Rachel MadCOW pathetic. Try going through a few of the more respectable polling sites and you'll see the majority do not want this healthcare bill passed. And when you look at the Quinnipiac University poll and not the parts just picked out for the article is not all that rosy for anybody in DC right now. And to top it off the article does not really say anything about approval or disapproval of the healthcare plan just how the Congress and the president are handling. For a cut-and-paste artist like yourself you not really good at it or you.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | March 3, 2010 2:36 AM
Trickled On HoHoHo,
The meltdown of teh economy was caused by the gov't interference in the mortgage market, not from Wall Street.
Crooks,
I have to make a small correction on your reply to Trickled On HoHoHo:
"And you still getting your facts...." The problem is, he doesn't get FACTS. YOu can't get facts from PMSNBC or the Most Stupid News on Basic Cable.
Posted by: Terry | March 3, 2010 9:15 PM