Daily Pulse on Health Care Politics
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on July 6th, 2009 4:35 am by HL
Daily Pulse on Health Care Politics
Roll Call reports the Senate’s time line for passing a health care reform bill may slip.
“Senate Democratic leaders’ hopes of approving health care reform before adjourning for the August recess appear all but dead, with the prospect of meeting President Barack Obama’s demand for a bill on his desk by Oct. 15 looking increasingly difficult.”
However, on Face the Nation, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) promised that there will be a public health care insurance option in any legislation that emerges from the Senate.
Said Schumer: “Make no mistake about it, there will be a public option in the final bill — some form of it. We want it to be a fair level playing field, but you need something to keep the big boys honest. And the only thing that really is out there is a public option. We don’t trust the private insurance companies left to their own devices, and neither do the American people.”
The Hill notes the “major sticking point” between Democrats and Republicans on the Finance Committee has been the public option. However, as Schumer notes, the public option is supported by the House of Representative, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and President Obama.
The Decay and Decline of New York
Fred Dicker: “Having witnessed the anarchy, chaos and lack of leadership that has engulfed the state Capitol during the past month, I have a painful confession to make. After three decades as a journalist covering state government, if I had to do it all over again, I’d find another job.”
“I’ve covered Govs. Hugh Carey, Mario Cuomo, George Pataki, Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson and for New York to wind up like this after 35 years of modern leadership, it’s clear to me that my real job has been to chronicle the devolution — the decay and decline — of New York state.”