Health care delay will frustrate Obama.
Associated Press ^ | 11/3/2009 | CHARLES BABINGTON
Posted on Wednesday, November 04, 2009 3:52:02 PM by Mozilla
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Delay is rarely good for politicians trying to pass legislation. The possibility that Congress might not complete action on a major health care bill this year is another frustration for President Barack Obama and his allies.
A delay would raise new uncertainties and push other domestic priorities further back. Even some House Democrats with safe seats don't like the idea of voting on a contentious bill until it's clear that the Senate will follow suit.
Adding to Democratic unease were losses in gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey on Tuesday, with independent voters flocking to the Republicans. The results could force House Democrats in competitive districts to think twice about Obama's agenda, including health care.
Obama has swallowed one disappointing postponement already this year, when the House and Senate failed to move separate bills before the August recess. Opponents used that lull to rip into the proposed health care changes in raucous public forums.
New questions were raised Tuesday when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters in the Capitol that he couldn't promise a health care package will pass this year.
Reid is trying to meld portions of two massive bills, one from the Finance Committee, the other from the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. He is submitting parts of the plan to CBO analysts to see if the Senate can hold the cost to $900 billion over 10 years, as Obama has insisted.
Assuming both chambers pass some version of health care overhaul, a House-Senate conference committee would try to resolve the differences. Then both chambers would vote on the final product and, if they approve it, send it to Obama's desk.
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This whole mess is DOA solely because of its arrogance and insanity.
