Posted on 01/27/2010 1:48:12 PM PST by jazusamo
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday floated the idea of a two-track plan for health care reform — with Congress pursuing easier-to-pass incremental changes now and comprehensive reform later.
“We believe that it’s possible to have comprehensive health care reform as we go forward, but at the same time, it can be on another track where some things can just be passed outside of that legislation, and we’ll be doing both,” Pelosi said in an interview with POLITICO.
Though the Democrats’ loss of Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat has complicated efforts to get the 60 votes they need for a sweeping health care bill, Pelosi insisted that comprehensive reform is still on the agenda.
“We have to get it done,” the speaker said. “What the process is doesn’t matter. The outcome is what is important, and what it means to working families in America.”
Asked whether piecemeal changes could come before comprehensive reform, Pelosi said: “Some may. It just depends on how long it takes for the comprehensive to go. But it doesn’t mean that the comprehensive isn’t moving. It is essential. If everyone loved their health insurance in the country — and you know they don’t — we would still have to do this for financial reasons.”
Pelosi reiterated that ramming the existing Senate bill through the House is not an option.
“There is no support in my caucus in the present form, at this time, for the Senate bill,” she said. “I don’t see that as an option. But I do think that we’re in range to make some improvements in it that will make it more affordable for the middle class, which is essential. Hold the insurance companies more accountable. Those two things are essential to us.”
Pelosi spoke with POLITICO as part of POLITICO’s “Inside Obama’s Washington” video series. The full interview will be available Thursday morning at www.politico.com.
They can do it IF THEY HAVE THE VOTES to do it. Trying to get the votes is the effort that has been going in the last several days.
The pressure was delivered when the GOP won in Mass.
The GOP won in Mass BECAUSE people were angry with what the Democrats in Congress were trying to do the American people via their health care bill.
Brown would never have been elected if everyone followed the advice of smug jerks telling people not to worry, don't put the heat on the Democrats, the Democrats won't be able to pass anything.
You heard it here first.
He'll abandon "comprehensive healthcare overhaul"...talk about what can be agreed with the GOP and call for passage of THAT...leaving Peolsi and the rest of the congressional dims hanging in the wind.
You may be right. The longer this fiasco goes on the more it hurts the Rats and just maybe Zer0 knows that, or at least some of his lame advisers know it and convinced him of it.
lets put all of congress on one track
the train track. 3rd rail
They can do it IF THEY HAVE THE VOTES to do it. Trying to get the votes is the effort that has been going in the last several days.
They DON'T have the votes, that is the point,and they are losing votes everyday, not gaining them.
The pressure was delivered when the GOP won in Mass.
The GOP won in Mass BECAUSE people were angry with what the Democrats in Congress were trying to do the American people via their health care bill.
Yes, as I said the pressure was delivered by the GOP win in Mass.
It ended the Senate supermajority before they could pass the Bill.
Now, they CAN'T pass that particular Bill-it is DEAD.
Brown would never have been elected if everyone followed the advice of smug jerks telling people not to worry, don't put the heat on the Democrats, the Democrats won't be able to pass anything.
And once we did win it was time to enjoy the victory, not sit around wringing our hands about how the Democrats are doing this or that-they can't.
It is the Democrats who need to be wringing their hands, being concerned about what we are going to do.
There will be other battles to be fought, but this one is a victory for the conservatives.
Only many conservatives are such fearmongers that they see defeat in every victory.
-—”The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of “liberalism,” they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.”
“I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party… The Democrat Party has adopted our platform.”—Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 to December 19, 1968) was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America.
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