Pelosi Vows To Pass Health Reform Bill Despite GOP Victory In Mass.

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 21 Jan 2010 - 3:00 PDT

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Democratic leaders on Tuesday vowed to pass a health care reform bill despite losing a Senate seat in the Massachusetts special election to state Sen. Scott Brown (R), CQ Today reports. Before the election results were announced, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said, "We will have a health care bill. Regardless of what happens in Massachusetts, we will make it happen" (Armstrong/Wayne, CQ Today, 1/19). Brown, who claims to support abortion rights, opposes what critics call "partial-birth abortion." He has said he would give Senate Republicans the 41st vote needed to block health reform legislation, the Washington Post reports (Romano, Washington Post, 1/20).

Liberal advocacy groups also are urging congressional Democrats to continue moving forward with health care reform, the New York Times' "Prescriptions" reports. Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said that although the group is "deeply disappointed" with the election results, "the fight for affordable, quality health care coverage for all, including women's reproductive health, is bigger than any one election" (Herszenhorn, "Prescriptions," New York Times, 1/19).

Observers have floated several possibilities for how Democrats can pass the bill without the 60 votes needed to block a filibuster in the Senate, though leaders have not decided on a strategy, CQ Today reports. One option is for Democrats to start over with health reform and work with moderate Republicans in the Senate to create a new bill. However, this is unlikely, as health policy experts and political scientists say Democrats have more to lose by abandoning health reform altogether than by pressing ahead with current legislation.

Another option would be for the House to pass the Senate's version of the bill (HR 3590) in its current form, while simultaneously raising a corrections bill that would incorporate any deals made during bicameral negotiations in the last week. This bill would have to be passed through reconciliation, an expedited process that requires only 51 votes in the Senate (CQ Today, 1/19). However, Democratic leaders appear to be distancing themselves from that strategy in the wake of the Massachusetts election, as "efforts to reconcile the bills may be a moot point," "Prescriptions" reports (Herszenhorn, "Prescriptions," New York Times, 1/20). Pelosi said on Tuesday that she thinks those involved in health reform negotiations "agre[e] that there are certain things in the Senate bill that must be changed." She added, "We do have our differences, and our members want to resolve those differences." Such differences include varying language on restricting abortion coverage under federally subsidized insurance plans and the levels of subsidies to help families buy health coverage (Murray/Montgomery, Washington Post, 1/20).

According to CQ Today, a third option would be reaching a compromise agreement in both chambers before Brown is seated, although Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) is calling for votes on the legislation to be suspended until Brown is sworn in (CQ Today, 1/19). Massachusetts law allows 10 days after the election for the counting of absentee ballots, followed by a five-day period for the secretary of state to certify the vote. Gov. Deval Patrick (D) and a panel of advisers are then required to examine the documents. On election night, Brown said he would like to be sworn in without delay, and Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said that he would work to quickly fill the vacant seat.

The Boston Globe reports that Brown's swearing in could take place as late as Feb. 3 if typical Senate procedures are followed, giving Democrats a two-week window to come up with a strategy for passing health care reform (Bender, Boston Globe, 1/20).

House Bill's Lone GOP Supporter Stands By Abortion Coverage Restrictions

Meanwhile, the only Republican to support the House's health reform bill (HR 3962) said Tuesday that he will not support a final bill if it does not include the same abortion coverage restrictions passed by the House, the Washington Times reports. Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-La.) is concerned that the final bill's language on the issue will look more like what was included in the Senate bill, which he opposes, his spokesperson Princella Smith said. She said that Cao "would rather see some form of health reform done than not done. ... But he's just not budging on the life issue." Cao crossed party lines to support the House bill after the addition of a last-minute amendment to prohibit federally subsidized insurance plans from covering abortion services.

According to the Washington Times, a vote against the bill from Cao would "eliminate any appearance of bipartisanship." The House bill passed 220-215, only two votes more than the 218 needed for passage (Haberkorn, Washington Times, 1/19).

Multimedia Coverage

~ MSNBC's "Hardball": A panel of guests appearing on Tuesday's programs discussed what could have caused Massachusetts voters to break ranks with Democrats in the traditionally liberal state. Host Chris Matthews also discussed what Brown's victory could mean for health reform efforts with the Huffington Post's Lawrence O'Donnell (Matthews, "Hardball," MSNBC, 1/19).

~ MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show": On Tuesday, Maddow spoke with Salon's Joan Walsh about the role of gender in the Massachusetts special election and Democratic politics across the U.S. Maddow and the Boston Globe's Peter Canellos also discussed the political conditions in Massachusetts that led to Brown's surge in the polls. Also on Tuesday's program, former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean commented on the possible meaning of Brown's victory for Democrats and on how the election results could affect health reform. In addition, Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein discussed congressional Democrats' options for health reform in the wake of the election (Maddow, "The Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 1/19).

~ MSNBC's "Countdown": Host Keith Olbermann on Tuesday commented on Brown's decision not to retract alleged sexist comments directed at his opponent, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (D)(Olbermann, "Countdown," MSNBC, 1/19).

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