The Waiting Room
Here’s a quick wrap-up of today’s health care news. Most of the health care headlines today center on the reactions to President Obama’s speech to
Jul 31, 2020788.2K Shares14M Views
*Here’s a quick wrap-up of today’s health care news. *
Most of the health care headlines today center on the reactions to President Obama’s speech to Congress last night. Thirteen percentof American households tuned in, and among those who watched, support for Obama’s health care plan jumped 14 percent. Most congressional Democrats responded favorably, with the key centrist Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) calling it a “game-changer.”But Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), an equally important swing vote, expressed concernover the president’s inclusion of the public option in his message. “I would have preferred that the issue were taken off the table,” she said. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele criticizedObama’s invocation of a letter from the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), calling it “bad form” due to his recent passing.
Meanwhile, Rep. Joe Wilson’s (R-S.C.) “you lie” outburst has been nothing but a boon to Democrats. The Democratic National Committee has raised more than $1 millionin the aftermath, and ActBlue notes in an email that Wilson’s 2010 opponent has brought in more than $400,000 — or $200,000 a word. Nonetheless, House leaders are consideringa formal censure of Wilson.
The prospects for passage of health reform remain murky. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) predicts that no Republican senatorswill support Obama’s plan. In an op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal, Karl Rovewarns that red-state Democrats would risk their seats if they supported reform legislation. And House progressivesare reiterating their demand for a meeting with the president to insist on a public option. Despite the attacks from all sides, Obama could get a boostfrom a new report showing the nation’s highest poverty rate in 11 years — and 46.3 million peoplewithout health insurance.
Hajra Shannon
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