Post-mortem

Insuring Resources Commentary:

No timeline, no idea what to do-- are there any leaders left?

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From the Wall Street Journal:
2/3/2010
by Janet Adamy and Patrick Yoest
With their sweeping health-care bill on hold, House Democrats plan to revive a sliver of the legislation as soon as next week that would repeal an antitrust exemption for insurance companies.

The move underscores growing doubts on Capitol Hill that Democrats can pass their ambitious plan to expand health insurance to more than 30 million Americans.

After focusing intensely on health care for months, Democratic leaders have removed completion of the overhaul from their agenda indefinitely, and even talk of the subject is scarce.

Instead, House Democrats are turning to a targeted provision with populist appeal in search of a small victory. They say repealing the federal antitrust exemption would drive insurance prices down in regions where one health insurer dominates. Insurers say they already face tight regulation by the states, and the practical impact of the move is uncertain.

Top Democrats said Tuesday they remained confident they would pass a broader health bill, but they acknowledged they had no time frame for doing so and no feasible strategy in sight. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland, when reminded that he said last week Democrats would have a plan by now, responded: "Did I say that? I was in error."

Democrats have struggled to explain the legislation and persuade Americans that the measure, with a nearly $1 trillion price tag over 10 years, would benefit consumers.

Republicans are showing no signs of helping the Democrats out of their predicament, saying Democrats should start from scratch on health care. That would require weeks or months of additional work, which isn't politically feasible when Congress wants to focus on job-creating legislation.

In recent days, supporters of the legislation, including the seniors group AARP and the American Medical Association, have sent letters to the Capitol urging lawmakers not to abandon the legislation. Some supporters say further delay could mean the bill effectively dies without fanfare.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was noncommittal Tuesday. "Don't pin me down as to days or number of weeks," he said. "We plan to do health care this year, and do it as quickly as we can."

Supporters of the overhaul have made some attempts to link the health bill to job creation, pointing out that expanding insurance would spur hiring in the health sector. Republicans say the legislation's new taxes and requirements for businesses to provide insurance could chill job growth.

"It raises considerable concern and raises the cost of doing business," said Sen. Olympia Snowe, a Republican from Maine who voted for a health overhaul in the Senate Finance Committee but voted no on the version that came before the full Senate.

Senate Democrats said their best hope was still for the House to pass the version of the health overhaul that the Senate passed Dec. 24, along with a package of modifications that would use a parliamentary procedure requiring fewer votes for approval. But centrist Democrats in both chambers are nervous that using such a technicality will be unpopular with voters.

Congressional staff members are struggling to surmount legislative hurdles for that route and say it may not be sufficient to resolve all of House Democrats' concerns about the bill.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed the plan to take up the antitrust exemption Tuesday.

A House Democratic aide said leaders hoped the measure would revive the momentum for the broader bill.

Polls suggest public support for the bill has diminished, and Americans were turned off by provisions in the Senate bill to win the votes of wavering lawmakers.