Democrats spar over health reform

WASHINGTON – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid acknowledged Thursday that his chamber is unable to pass health care reform before its August recess, a move that highlighted internal Democratic divisions on the legislation and is likely to result in significant changes to the shape of the final bill.

The Aug. 7 deadline that President Barack Obama set for House and Senate leaders to move their versions of reform served as a vital tool for congressional leaders in minimizing dissent as the $1 trillion package moved through five committees. But with their hopes of reaching that target date slipping in recent days, a torrent of complaints and concerns began to surface.

The comments by Reid, D-Nev., confirmed the growing consensus on Capitol Hill that the White House’s fast-track approach has failed and that a more plodding and contentious process has taken hold. Not only would the Senate not meet Obama’s timeline for passing a bill, but across the Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was struggling to quell an uprising by conservative Democrats that had brought House action to a near halt.

At an event Thursday in Shaker Heights, Ohio, intended to rally support for health care reform, Obama attempted to brush aside the delay, saying he is content to know Congress is pressing ahead.

In response to a questioner at the event, the president said, “That’s OK. I just want people to keep on working,” adding that he wants to sign a final bill “by the end of this year.”

Lawmakers, however, appeared to be in no rush. When Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee met Thursday morning and raised doubts about the bill coming through their panel, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts questioned new Medicare formulas that could penalize high-cost states such as his. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, who represents millions of elderly constituents, also expressed doubts about Medicare cuts that could add up to $500 billion over 10 years. Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia lambasted the panel’s tentative decision to support the creation of member-run cooperatives rather than the government insurance plan that he and many other Democrats prefer.

House Democrats, still wrangling over the scope of the legislation and how to pay for it, began Thursday with a heated meeting overseen by Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., who afterward told reporters that it was one of the most “contentious” gatherings he had ever attended. Clyburn, whose job is to count votes, suggested that the leadership should cancel its five-week recess, slated to begin next Friday, and spend August working to pass the legislation.

Pelosi later described the meeting as “exciting” and “invigorating,” saying she invited members with opposing views to air their opinions on the policy matters and the best schedule for proceeding. She dismissed the idea of keeping the House in session through August, and said she is weighing whether to extend the current session a few days to pass the legislation or to wait until after Labor Day.

The Blue Dog Coalition, a group of 51 conservative House Democrats, continued to push for delaying until the group has secured guarantees of billions of dollars in additional health care cost savings.