President Obama has appealed to Congress pass his historic healthcare bill upon which some believe his presidency will be judged.
But with only 28% of Americans believing the bill will help them personally, the Republican minority leader in the House of Representatives, John Boehner, has indicated that there is no way that this is going through. He told reporters: “If anyone thinks the American people are going to forgive this vote, just watch.”
He is referring to the November mid-terms which Mr Boehner hopes to turn into a referendum on healthcare, and there are already moves afoot in six states to repeal the law should Mr Obama ever sign it into law. I’m not sure how that can happen if it is Federal law... but maybe Danny will explain.
The Democrats need 216 votes in the lower House to pass a bill already approved by the Senate. Danny tells me that Nancy Pelosi and the whips are twisting arms, making deals, and counting votes.
He wrote me: “A very liberal Congressman from Ohio, Dennis Kucinich, voted against the bill that passed the House last year (the bill was not liberal enough he thought.) Last week, he prominently announced that he would vote NO on the bill this week. But his House District in Ohio was the one that Obama visited last week for a health bill political rally. So Dennis was invited to fly with the president on Air Force One to and from Ohio. This morning, Kucinich held a news conference announcing that he would vote FOR the bill when it comes up this week. Such is (sometimes) the persuasive power of the presidency and a ride on Air Force One.
“So Obama is certainly in the Oval Office this week making phone calls to congressmen.....persuading, cajoling, and threatening.
“Everyone says that Nancy Pelosi still doesn't have the required 216 votes yet, and that passage is not yet a sure thing. But all the chips are on the table, with Obama's early presidency in the balance.
“Nancy may always have a few votes in her pocket.....that is, the votes of Congressmen from difficult districts who will vote "for" the bill ONLY if their vote is absolutely necessary for passage. So, they hold back as the electronic voting progresses. If the vote totals are showing that their vote will be needed for passage, only then will the Whip tell them that they must vote YEA. High drama in the House this week for sure.”
As ever, I’m deeply appreciative to Danny for keeping me abreast of what’s going on.
Healthcare is a hard subject. There is no doubt that the public system that exists in Scotland, and throughout the UK in a pretty similar way, is far from perfect. There are better models. The French system is reckoned to be amongst the best in the world, and when I have had cause to use it, I have found it to be superb.
Whatever the system they chose, it must surely be better than the current situation where the working poor have no cover at all, and many of the moderately paid worry that an unknown pre-existing condition may invalidate their policy, or an illness outside the range of their policy will mean bankruptcy.
That’s hardly any way for the world’s richest nation to treat its people.
But with only 28% of Americans believing the bill will help them personally, the Republican minority leader in the House of Representatives, John Boehner, has indicated that there is no way that this is going through. He told reporters: “If anyone thinks the American people are going to forgive this vote, just watch.”
He is referring to the November mid-terms which Mr Boehner hopes to turn into a referendum on healthcare, and there are already moves afoot in six states to repeal the law should Mr Obama ever sign it into law. I’m not sure how that can happen if it is Federal law... but maybe Danny will explain.
The Democrats need 216 votes in the lower House to pass a bill already approved by the Senate. Danny tells me that Nancy Pelosi and the whips are twisting arms, making deals, and counting votes.
He wrote me: “A very liberal Congressman from Ohio, Dennis Kucinich, voted against the bill that passed the House last year (the bill was not liberal enough he thought.) Last week, he prominently announced that he would vote NO on the bill this week. But his House District in Ohio was the one that Obama visited last week for a health bill political rally. So Dennis was invited to fly with the president on Air Force One to and from Ohio. This morning, Kucinich held a news conference announcing that he would vote FOR the bill when it comes up this week. Such is (sometimes) the persuasive power of the presidency and a ride on Air Force One.
“So Obama is certainly in the Oval Office this week making phone calls to congressmen.....persuading, cajoling, and threatening.
“Everyone says that Nancy Pelosi still doesn't have the required 216 votes yet, and that passage is not yet a sure thing. But all the chips are on the table, with Obama's early presidency in the balance.
“Nancy may always have a few votes in her pocket.....that is, the votes of Congressmen from difficult districts who will vote "for" the bill ONLY if their vote is absolutely necessary for passage. So, they hold back as the electronic voting progresses. If the vote totals are showing that their vote will be needed for passage, only then will the Whip tell them that they must vote YEA. High drama in the House this week for sure.”
As ever, I’m deeply appreciative to Danny for keeping me abreast of what’s going on.
Healthcare is a hard subject. There is no doubt that the public system that exists in Scotland, and throughout the UK in a pretty similar way, is far from perfect. There are better models. The French system is reckoned to be amongst the best in the world, and when I have had cause to use it, I have found it to be superb.
Whatever the system they chose, it must surely be better than the current situation where the working poor have no cover at all, and many of the moderately paid worry that an unknown pre-existing condition may invalidate their policy, or an illness outside the range of their policy will mean bankruptcy.
That’s hardly any way for the world’s richest nation to treat its people.
Update: 20.20 Sunday:
Danny just updated me: At 4:00 PM Washington time, Congressman Stupak announced agreement with the White House over the wording of the executive order about abortion language. He (and the rest of his group) will now be voting FOR the bill. This means that if nothing else goes wrong President Obama will have his bill. Hooray!
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