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Senate may not deliver bill in 2009
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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Updated: Apr. 10, 2012 | 9:48 a.m.
WASHINGTON -- In a blow to the White House, the Senate's top Democrat signaled Tuesday that Congress may fail to meet a year-end deadline for passing health care legislation, leaving the measure's fate to the uncertainties of the 2010 election season.
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., spoke as Democratic officials said it could be December before Senate debate begins in earnest on the issue atop President Barack Obama's domestic agenda, months after senior lawmakers and the White House had hoped. The drive to pass legislation has been plagued for months by divisions within the party.
House leaders, on a faster track, pointed toward a vote this weekend on a bill to extend coverage to tens of millions who lack it, ban insurance industry practices such as denying coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions and slow the rate of growth of medical spending nationwide. The 10-year, $1.2 trillion legislation is estimated to expand coverage to about 96 percent of eligible Americans.
The measure includes an option for consumers to purchase a government insurance plan, an attempt to put pressure on private firms.
Reid for the first time publicly raised the possibility that lawmakers would not be able to complete work on health care by year's end. "We're not going to be bound by any timelines. We need to do the best job we can for the American people," he said after the weekly closed-door meeting of rank-and-file Democrats.
A few hours later, Reid's office revised his remarks. "There is no reason why we can't have a transparent and thorough debate in the Senate and still send a bill to the president by Christmas," said spokesman Jim Manley.
At the White House, spokesman Reid Cherlin said, "We're moving on the same timeline. The House plans to vote on the health reform bill within days, and as Senator Reid said today, he shares the White House's commitment to passing meaningful reform by Christmas."
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How ironic the line "There is no reason why we can't have a TRANSPARENT and thorough debate in the Senate and still send a bill to the president by Christmas" directly follows the line "he said after the weekly CLOSED-DOOR meeting of rank-and-file Democrats."
Look how wishy washy Reid is. One paragraph says there's a possibility they won't be able to complete the work. Then the VERY next one says they can still send the bill to Obama.
BTW, that change Obama wanted is starting to work. Color change that is...from blue to red. Bravo to the voters of VA & NJ.
The line should read, "atop President Barack Obama's socialist agenda. So instead of cramming a cobbled together bill, Congress is feeling the heat from their constituents and realizing that the stupidity of their "jam it down their throats" actions are going to come back at election time and end up biting them on the butt.