This Week in Health Care Reform
JANUARY 21, 2010Pelosi says House lacks votes to adopt Senate healthcare bill
ABC World News (1/21, story 5, 0:20, Sawyer) reported, "A reality check on healthcare reform: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced [Thursday] she does not have the votes to ram through the Senate version of the bill, so she called for a pause on the whole issue, saying we're not in a rush."JANUARY 20, 2010
In wake of Brown win, health reform obstacles mount
Media reports and analyses are describing Scott Brown's upset win in the Massachusetts Senate race as a very serious blow to the President's healthcare reform agenda. The healthcare push, the AP (1/20, Alonso-Zaldivar) reports, is "not dead," but was sent "to the emergency room in fragile condition." While Democratic leaders are exploring avenues to push a bill through, media reports cast those efforts very much as an uphill battle. So much so that the New York Times (1/20, A13, Hulse) reports that "House Democrats appeared to rule out the idea of quickly approving a Senate-passed healthcare measure and sending it to President Obama." In fact, DCCC chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) took a clear shot at the Senate measure last night, saying, "Healthcare was also part of the debate, and the people of Massachusetts were right to be upset about provisions in the Senate bill like the Nebraska purchase and other special deals." The Washington Post (1/20, Murray, Montgomery) likewise, reports that "the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress spent Tuesday searching for ways to keep their hard-fought healthcare overhaul alive," but "no workable Plan B emerged."The Democratic stance moving forward may have been affected by statements from a number of Democrats who are expressing misgivings about the options put forth so far. USA Today (1/20, Kiely, Fritze) notes that "Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank (D), a strong supporter of the healthcare legislation, said Brown's victory means Congress will have to 'start over on healthcare.' He said he will vote against any bill rushed to the floor before Brown can be sworn in."
JANUARY 19, 2010
Health reform backers brace for possible Brown win in Massachusetts
Media reports and analyses are casting today's Senate election in Massachusetts as a dire threat to President Obama's plans to overhaul the country's healthcare system. In preparation for the possibility of Republicans getting a 41st Senate vote, Democrats are said to be looking for a way to salvage their reform effort. Reports, however, downplay the likelihood that what is portrayed as the preferred Democratic back-up plan -- having the House vote on the Senate bill -- will succeed.
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