W. J. “Billy” Tauzin, a former congressman from Louisiana, has announced that he is retiring in the summer as head of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America which creates a problem for Democratic leaders who are fighting to keep healthcare reform alive. Tauzin was an influential lobbyist, and “became a pivotal backer of health-care legislation after reaching a deal with the White House aimed at limiting damage to the industry,” reports Dan Eggen from The Washington Post.
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President Obama revealed on Sunday that he plans to assemble a public meeting at the end of the month with Republican and Democratic leaders to reach a bipartisan consensus on healthcare reform. Obama wants to hear Republican’s input in regards to healthcare reform, however, he does not want to completely start over, only take the best ideas and move forward. Newt Gingrich and John C. Goodman from The Washington Post say, “The best ideas out there are not those that were passed by the House and Senate last year, which consist of more spending, more regulations and more bureaucracy.”
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Sunday before the Superbowl in an interview with Katie Couric, President Obama revealed that on Feb. 25 he will assemble a public meeting with Republican and Democratic leaders to reach a bipartisan consensus on the healthcare reform bill. PriceDoc COO Patrick Bradley, Ph.D., says, “I like it because one, we will get input from both sides….and, the public gets to hear it. You would think for 1/6 of the nation’s economy, you would let the public hear the debate. Now, we may get reform that help American consumers and lowers cost.”
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Andrew Rubin from The Huffington Post says he is upset about healthcare reform failing, but is most upset that many Americans are unaware of what has actually happened. He says, “Sure, they know the Senate and House reform bills were expensive. They certainly know that there are among 30 to 50 million Americans without health insurance coverage… We should also not forget about the 25 million under insured, most of whom do not even realize it until they actually get sick.”
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A while ago Congress came up with a solution to control Medicare spending; however, the solution only solves the problem temporarily. “It sets spending targets. If they’re not met, fees paid to doctors, hospitals and nursing homes automatically are cut,” reports the Houston Chronicle. If targets aren’t met, these fees are supposed to be cut, but a majority of the time “those cuts have been triggered, Congress has stepped in at the last minute to soften or repeal them — usually with the provision that even larger cuts would take effect at some undetermined future date,” states the Houston Chronicle.
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According to CNN, “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Congress would pass a health care bill this year, while his counterpart in the House — Speaker Nancy Pelosi — outlined a two-step plan intended to maintain public focus on the issue.” However, because of Republican Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts last week, hopes of getting a bill passed were quickly crushed. Democrats lost their 60-vote Senate supermajority, and since the election, Democrats have been struggling to think of a new plan.
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A 10-point manifesto entitled “Declaration of Health Care Independence” was released Wednesday by Rep. Michele Bachmann and a crew of conservative House members. This document contains 10 ideas that Bachmann thinks should be the foundation for an effective health care reform that brings affordable health care to all and controls costs. Larry Bivins from the SC Times states that, “The group said the Republican victory in last week’s Massachusetts Senate race was a clear signal that Americans are disgruntled over the health care proposals pushed by House and Senate Democrats.”
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Despite Republican Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts, the White House has not given up on health care reform. NY Daily News reports that David Axelrod, a senior Obama adviser, said, “It’s very clear, people don’t want us to walk away from health care,” and that, “they want us to address their concerns with the program.”
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According to Karen Schuberg from CNS News, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated on Thursday that “there were not enough votes to pass the Senate-version of the bill in the House of Representatives.” Many things have led to the lack of public support for health-care reform, but Rep. Mike Pence says that the abortion language in the Senate bill is what really contributed to the bill failing; in the Senate health care bill tax dollars would go to health plans that cover abortion.
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