Health Care For America Now

NEWS

Obama Calls for ‘Up or Down Vote’ on Health Care Bill - New York Times

President Obama, beginning his final push for a health care overhaul, called Wednesday for Congress to allow an “up or down vote” on the measure, and sketched out an ambitious — and, some Democrats said, unrealistic — timetable for his party to pass a bill on its own within weeks.

W.H. warns Dems: Don't flip-flop - Politico

Two senior administration officials said the White House is telling Democrats reconsidering their support for health care reform that they will pay the price for their original vote no matter what happens, so they should reap the political benefits of actually passing a law.

Democrats Hope to Finish Writing Health Bill This Week - Roll Call

House and Senate Democratic leaders are working to finalize the language of a health care reconciliation bill by the end of this week in order to tee up the measure for passage in both chambers before the Easter break.

Senate Moderates Warm to Reconciliation - Roll Call

Senate Democratic centrists aren’t saying “yes” just yet, but when it comes to passing a crucial piece of the health care reform puzzle, party leaders have reason to be optimistic that enough of their most fickle Members will put them over the top.

FLASHBACK: GOP Fired Parliamentarian Who Objected To Their Use Of Reconciliation - Media Matters

Congressional Republicans are stepping up their efforts to portray the reconciliation process as an unprecedented threat to minority rights. However, as Democrats push forward with health care reform, it's important to remember that Republicans not only used reconciliation when they were in power, but actually took the extreme step of firing the Senate parliamentarian who objected to their use of the procedure.

Some Small Businesses See Burden In "Cadillac" Tax - Kaiser Health News

Ellen Warner and her husband Mark run a small online store out of the basement of their home in Cumming, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta.　The Alzheimer's Store, which sells products for people with dementia and their caregivers, is a mom-and-pop operation that at best breaks even.

OPINION

The Coming Battle of the Ritz Carlton - Bob Creamer

President Obama's announcement yesterday began the final chapter in the 14-month war over health care reform. The decisive battle will obviously take place on the floor of Congress. But the most symbolically powerful battle may take place next week some miles from the Capitol, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on the edge of Washington's tony Georgetown neighborhood.

The Democrats’ Choice - New York Times

Republicans’ lock-step opposition to comprehensive health care reform seems to be as much a matter of politics as principle. But either way, they have made clear that there is no dialogue or any possible compromise that will persuade them to change their minds.

A Conservative Group Makes My Point - Jon Cohn

The campaign to sway votes in the House is underway. A conservative group, the League of American Voters, has announced it will be running advertisements in the districts of 13 vulnerable Democrats who voted for health care reform in November. The goal is to pressure them into voting "no" on the Senate bill when it comes up, presumably later this month.

Did Republicans use reconciliation for significantly bipartisan bills? - Ezra Klein

Among the odder arguments Republicans are making against the reconciliation process is that the process should only be used for bipartisan bills, and since they refuse to vote for health-care reform, Democrats can't give their package of fixes an up-or-down vote.

275,000 Will Die Without Reform - Change.org

The cost if President Obama and Congress don't get the job done on health care reform? 275,000 lives, according to a new report.

The Republicans' big lie about reconciliation - EJ Dionne

For those who feared that Barack Obama did not have any Lyndon Johnson in him, the president's determination to press ahead and get health-care reform done in the face of Republican intransigence came as something of a relief.