Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Health care onus on Westerners Baucus, Reid
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
Yahoo! Search
Search:
Sign InNew User? Sign Up
News Home -
Help
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Search
Search:
Health care onus on Westerners Baucus, Reid
By LAURIE KELLMAN,Associated Press Writer AP - Wednesday, July 29
WASHINGTON - If there is a chance for health care overhaul it most likely exists in the politically charged space between a marathon runner from Montana and a former amateur boxer from Nevada, two Senate Democrats who occasionally sound like Republicans.
ADVERTISEMENT
For better or worse, the burden to design a plan that provides health insurance to every American who seeks it without adding to the deficit _ and that can get 60 votes in the Senate _ is falling on Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Majority Leader Harry Reid.
While President Barack Obama says failure is not an option, the solution to this quandary has eluded presidents and congressional titans past and may yet stymie the weathered partnership between the two conservative Democrats.
Reid, 69, and Baucus, 67, are deep in multidimensional and simultaneous negotiations taking place among senators of both parties, countless coalitions, interest groups, their own constituents and the White House.
"All these gyrations," as Reid put it, must produce a bill before the Senate recesses at the end of next week, a self-set deadline that theoretically would allow for floor debate this fall.
"I have a responsibility to get a bill on the Senate floor that will get 60 votes," Reid, who is up for re-election next year, told reporters Tuesday. "That's my number one responsibility and there are times when I have to set aside my personal preferences for the good of the Senate and, I think, the country."
Sixty is for later in the process. For the moment, Baucus is focused on a smaller number, six: specifically, three Democratic and three Republican members of Baucus' tax-writing Finance Committee. They are Democratic Sens. Baucus, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Kent Conrad of North Dakota, and Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Olympia Snowe of Maine.
An agreement among them would represent a passing grade on the health care plan's first test of bipartisanship. Produce a bill, and senators can go home at the end of next week reporting some progress.
But the recess will be no vacation for the forces at work on health care, least of all Reid and Baucus. A message war will ensue, with Republicans demanding a rewrite and Democrats calling for patience. Aides will spend the summer break toiling over how to marry the Finance Committee bill with elements of less viable proposals turned out by other panels.
At some point, Obama and Congress' Democratic leaders will have to decide whether compromise would mean the best chance for passage even at the risk of losing the support of their party's liberal base.
The next 10 days are pivotal. The onus to deliver is on Baucus and Reid.
"Their relationship is almost intentionally one of the checks and balances," said Sheila Burke, who was chief of staff to former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and now is a lecturer at Harvard University.
They are two hard-core political operators and stubborn personalities locked in a partnership that Reid described in his memoir as exhilarating during the Bush years when, then in the minority, they teamed to drive a stake into the Republican president's plan to privatize Social Security.
However, Reid's and Baucus' ideology can sometimes resemble that of Republicans more than the liberal bases of the Democratic party.
Reid, a grandfather of 16 and a Mormon, supports gun rights and has voted to limit access to some abortions.
"Harry has to carry a lot of that left-wing stuff, but he's really more moderate," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
Baucus, who grew up on a ranch, has a son and is Protestant, has sided with Republicans on the Medicare prescription drug benefit and some of Bush's tax cut extensions.
"There is no one better at forging bipartisan consensus," Reid said of Baucus.
Their division of labor generally breaks down this way:
_Baucus is charged with leading the six senators through a closed-door search for a way to pay for various coverage schemes that might win Senate votes on each side of the aisle.
_Reid is focused on losing as few votes as possible from his caucus of 58 Democrats and two independents. The prospects of any plan winning all 60 of those votes are exceedingly slim, which is why Baucus' longtime partnership with Grassley, the senior Republican on his panel, is so crucial.
At a telling series of meetings on July 7, the math on where the votes were on Baucus' emerging deal prompted Reid to depart from his stated goal of empowering his chairmen to negotiate deals.
Reid's leadership team, including several members of the vote-counting whip organization, made it clear that Baucus' plan to pay for part of the overhaul by taxing health care benefits would cost 10 to 15 Democratic votes, mostly liberals. That happened to be a key element in Baucus' negotiations with Grassley, a proposal that might nail down support from the handful of Republicans needed.
At a second meeting, Reid relayed to Baucus the news that such a proposal would cost more than it would gain. Baucus pushed back, according to knowledgeable officials involved in the events, saying he was close to winning agreement from some Republicans. He was overruled, his ability to negotiate curtailed.
"As the leader, you want your chairmen to be independent, you want them to be strong," Burke said. "You want them to be able to do what they have to do to get (bills) through the committee. But your responsibility is really to the broader caucus."
Two weeks later, however, a variation to tax insurance companies on their high-cost, luxury health insurance plans is back on the table.
"This a process we're working through," Reid said.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Sign in to recommend this article »
0 users recommend
Related Articles: World
US revokes Honduran visas to pressure interim regimeAFP - Thursday, July 30
Two Iraqi police killed in Iran rebel camp violenceAFP - Thursday, July 30
US 'monitoring' Iraqi actions at Iranian campAFP - Wednesday, July 29
Spain blames ETA for car bombing, 64 injuredAFP - Thursday, July 30
US, Britain talks on Afghanistan, Iran, MideastAFP - Wednesday, July 29
Most Popular – World
Viewed
Doctor gave Jackson drug that killed him: CNN
Police raid Vegas home of Jackson doctor
Sunbeds elevated to top cancer risk level: WHO
Lost love letter reunites couple after 16 years
Ex-boxing champ Forrest shot in back and killed
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Community
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy
- Help
Other News on Thursday, 30 July 2009 Iran to try 20 vote 'rioters' as opposition vows defiance
Spain blames separatists in car bombing, 64 injured
British watchdog clears iPhone advert
Two more Iraq hostages 'likely' dead
Spain's Santander bank profit slips
Germany consumer prices fall
ArcelorMittal loss depress shares
U.N.'s Ban says willing to visit North Korea
| International
|
World falling short on emergency food aid: U.N. body
| International
|
Kurd polls keep status quo, U.S. urges Iraq peace
| International
|
Moldovan Communists top parliament vote: exit poll
| International
|
Indian students losing college places in Australia
Taiwan leader calls for China trade pact but no rush to meet Hu
Lawmaker urges regulations for file-sharing
| Technology
|
Prisons ban inmates from having pen pal ads
Dalai Lama receives honorary citizenship of Polish capital
Waking up is getting serious on smartphones
| Technology
|
'Al-Qaeda' blog claims bombing as Indonesia hotels re-open
Gates: Some US troops may be leaving Iraq early
Intel sees no first-time PC buyers for netbooks
| Technology
|
Terror suspect purportedly claims Jakarta blasts
Sony plugs Google's library into e-readers
| Technology
|
Myanmar warns against predicting Suu Kyi verdict
Pakistan, Tajikstan to cooperate on terror fight
Deal far from done in UBS tax evasion case
Obama renews sanctions against Myanmar
Responsibility claim for Indonesian terror attacks
Closing arguments set for ex-congressman's trial
Scientists seek new tools to fight malnutrition
Uighur activist demands investigation of missing
Record heat wave continues in Seattle, Portland
Health care onus on Westerners Baucus, Reid
Philippine gov't, Muslim rebels meet in Malaysia
US terror arrests spur warning to police
Pieces of Hollywood history on auction block
Honda, Nissan see flickers of hope
Japan's Toshiba still in red
Japan's Nomura posts first profit in six quarters
Ballroom show to hit Broadway amid dance popularity
| Entertainment
|
Now Germans can pre-book holiday sunloungers
Honda says profits dive on weak sales
Swedish worshippers fume at church newspaper's Bruno promo
Jakarta hotels reopen after suicide bombings
SAfrica's poor say enough to empty gov't promises
UBS sued in HK over investor's $26 million loss
Art-deco's unlikely claim to fame, in western France
In Virginia, health fair tends to America's poor
South Korean film snags coveted release in China
A life in comedy leads Apatow to `Funny People'
Jackson chef recalls doctor's role, final days
Philippine ex-president, 72, shoots comeback movie
Britain to call for revamped Afghan aid effort
Britain and U.S. defend war effort in Afghanistan
| International
|
Cyber-criminals targeting social networks: experts
Twitter and Facebook make Afghan election debut
Jackson autopsy released next week: coroner
Kenya arrests Dutch citizens heading to 'jihadist' camp
Stray South Korea fishing boat held in North
| International
|
Sudanese woman in court in trouser 'test case'
Twitter unveils new frontpage
IMF gears up for 'unprecedented' support of poor nations
U.S. unsure on success of Pakistan's Swat offensive
| International
|
Susan Boyle Joins Megan Fox, Cheryl Cole As Women Men Would Most Want To Date
Rocket-battered Israeli border town enjoying calm
Microsoft going after Google's home turf
As indicators point up, Obama sees end of slump
Kurd polls keep status quo in Iraq
Johnny Knoxville Agrees To Pay Ex-Wife $6K In Child Support
Fauna play key role in circulating seas, says study
Tennis Star Martina Navratilova Asks For Long Delay In Divorce Case
Clinton "deplores" any abuse of prisoners in Iran
Honduran leader softens tone in fight over Zelaya
| International
|
Iraq police clash anew with Iran rebel camp residents
Hulk Hogan And Estranged Wife Linda Finalize Divorce
Black Eyed Peas And Kings Of Leon Battle For Top Spot On iTunes
India's outsourcing sector sees export growth slide
Ruling parties win majority in Kurdish elections
Judge Appoints Independent Guardian To Protect Finances Of Octomom Nadya Suleman's Children
China publicizes list of Uighur fugitives
| International
|
Chip maker Infineon trims loss, sees larger writedowns
Iran to try 20 vote 'rioters' as opposition vows defiance
STMicoelectronics sees chip market firming
British opposition chief apologises over Twitter gaffe
Moldova liberals seek coalition, Communists falter
| International
|
Working women in front line of slowdown
| International
|
Google Maps accused of unfair competition in France
Heavy rains, landslides kill 66 in southern China
| International
|
UN chief backs NKorea's call for direct talks with US
US judge orders release of Guantanamo detainee
Mac flaw could let hackers get scrambled data
| Technology
|
Japan's DPJ revises its foreign policy stance
Gates hints at faster Iraqi pullout if leaders curb feuds
Foxconn suicide turns spotlight on China counterfeiting
| Technology
|
Whose 5 stars? Online `user' reviews get scrutiny
Microsoft, Yahoo in 10-year Web search partnership
| Technology
|
San Diego Zoo says giant panda Bai Yun is pregnant
Yahoo investors disappointed, but hold out hope
| Technology
|
Wis. dad of dead girl says he trusted God to heal
Current wars barely register on fashion's radar
A look at the deal worked out on health care
Death penalty possible in museum shooting
Russell Crowe to star in 'Next Three Days'
Share prices mask uncertain India economy outlook
Top S.Korean officials agree exit talk premature
S.Korea government bonds rise early, stocks eyed
Korea Hot Stocks
Japanese industrial output up 2.4 percent in June
Seoul shares flat after N.Korea reports, U.S. loss
Terror suspect purportedly claims Jakarta blasts
Hong Kong's yoga boom sparks injury surge
NZ cenbank threatens rate cut on currency fears
NY sparks fears for Coney Island's freaky soul
RPT-PREVIEW-S.Korea banks set to recover after weak Q2
Uighur leader's book sales rise: publisher
Russell Crowe to star in 'Next Three Days'
NZ dollar falls after cenbank warns on recovery
TEXT-NZ central bank holds cash rate at 2.5 pct
Gretchen Wilson to start her own record label
Jackson's mother seeking info from estate lawyers
NY museum exhibit to show unseen Tim Burton works
| Entertainment
|
Kristinia DeBarge not saying goodbye anytime soon
Ashley Tisdale sheds Disney image in new Aliens
| Entertainment
|
Property of Jackson doc searched in investigation
Actor Jude Law to be father to fourth child
| Entertainment
|
Galactica producer Harvey Frand dies at 68
| Entertainment
|
Work day ends for Broadway musical 9 to 5
| Entertainment
|
Howard to replace Lefevre in 3rd Twilight film
| Entertainment
|
Russell Crowe eyes remake of French thriller
| Entertainment
|
It'll be a mob scene, really, on NJ waterfront
| Entertainment
|
Rachel Weisz sizzles in Streetcar
| Entertainment
|
Taliban call for boycott of Afghan polls, 'jihad'
Zimbabwe lifts reporting ban on BBC: broadcaster
Iran police arrest mourners in cemetery memorial
| International
|
Renault slumps into loss
Israel orders Gaza war probe: report
Rolls-Royce profits soar six-fold
Two Spain police killed by new bomb blamed on ETA
| International
|
Study finds pesticide link to childhood leukemia
Iran to begin first trials of protesters
Nigeria says routed Islamic rebels; clashes go on
| International
|
U.N. council extends mandate of Darfur peacekeepers
| International
|
South Africa's Zuma accepts libel damages from UK paper
| International
|
CORRECTED: Kurd polls keep status quo, U.S. urges Iraq peace
| International
|
Airbus to fund extra search for Air France black box
| International
|
China seeks to reduce its abortion toll
"Radicalization" of Americans worrying
Malaysia to deploy dubious task force in crime fight
Congress urges pardon for first black boxing champ
Australia finds last two Vietnam War missing: gov't
Mass. woman killed, fetus removed from womb
NKorea's Kim undergoing kidney dialysis: report
US officials warned Pakistan on Taliban spillover
Weeping Suu Kyi supporters brace for the worst
Microsoft and Yahoo challenge Google: Bing it on
China publicises list of Uighur fugitives
Torrential rain in China kills 66 since June
Mosquitoes deliver malaria 'vaccine' through bites
China rejects Uighur claim over 10,000 disappeared
Babies die slowly after Bangladesh drug scam
Japan's Sharp in red, eyes full-year profit
Sumitomo Trust to buy Citigroup's Nikko Asset
Sony posts smaller than expected Q1 loss
ADB warns Asian growth at risk from inequality
China to reimpose air fuel surcharge: state media
Mitsubishi Motors bleeds red ink
Work halted after deaths at Vietnam's tower site
Seoul shares end firm; banks, Samsung Elec rise
San Miguel offers to run Philippines toll road project
'New wave' directors make a splash in Bollywood
Pakistan c.bank buys back 11 bln rupees of T-bills
Jackson mother gets custody, Rowe gets visits: report
| Entertainment
|
Polish comic books cover Nazi camps
NY museum exhibit to show unseen Tim Burton works
| Entertainment
|
Sour notes Down Under for Aussie rock icons
Diane Keaton to star in HBO comedy series
| Entertainment
|
Ashley Tisdale sheds Disney image in new Aliens
| Entertainment
|
Comics find something to laugh about with Gates
Work day ends for Broadway musical 9 to 5
| Entertainment
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights