House Democrats report major progress on healthcare bill

[question everything]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-healthcare-house30-2009jul30,0,4349602.story
From the Los Angeles Times

A deal with the party's moderate 'Blue Dog' faction raises hopes for the overhaul's chances in September, but some liberal Democrats don't share that optimism.
By Noam N. Levey and Janet Hook

12:39 PM PDT, July 29, 2009

Reporting from Washington — After weeks of factional debate that threatened to derail healthcare legislation, House Democrats reached a critical deal today that paved the way for the chamber to vote on a healthcare overhaul in September. Under an agreement worked out between moderate "Blue Dog" Democrats and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D- Beverly Hills), Democratic leaders agreed to change the way a new government insurance plan would operate to allay concerns that it could crowd out commercial insurers. And they moved to protect more small businesses from a new requirement to provide their employees with health insurance.

(snip)

The proposed changes to the healthcare bill are to be discussed at a committee meeting this afternoon. And Hoyer said they would be debated on the full floor when lawmakers return from their summer recess in September. Yet there already were signs of trouble in the liberal wing of the House Democratic caucus. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) blasted the deal minutes after it was announced.

"This is not going to pass," she said. "It's a non-starter. It's going to cause havoc."

[Eric J in MN]

1. The changes for the Blue Dogs will increase the federal cost.

They got the exemption for small business to provide insurance raised from those with payrolls of $250,000 or less to those with payrolls of $500,000 or less.

Lots of those employees will need federal subsidies.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/house-retains-public-option-in-compromise.php?ref=fpb

[Atman]

2. "We must protect the poor insurance companies at all cost!"

This fucking sucks.



.

[and-justice-for-all]

4. Fuck the insurance companies...

they will live, it is the people who can not afford health care who are doing the dying.

[Blasphemer]

3. This thing must be a real mess

"This is not going to pass," she said. "It's a non-starter. It's going to cause havoc."

If Pelosi truly had the votes, I have to imagine the liberal wing would have voted for it as it stood before these negotiations. If they are now balking, it must be pretty bad and Waxman should have followed through with his threat to take it to the floor bypassing the committee. I don't see what these negotiations have accomplished if they end up costing more votes than they might earn.