House Dems talk health care

Posted: Monday, July 13, 2009 5:57 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Congress, Economy

From NBC's Luke Russert
In a news day dominated by coverage of the Sotomayor hearings, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House Democratic health-care bill would be out Tuesday. "We have plans to introduce legislation tomorrow," she said. "It won't be the finished product. It is a mark, to be marked up by committee to go to the next step."

House Democratic leaders, including Pelosi, held a press conference today to highlight the stresses on everyday Americans of not having health care on everyday Americans. The speaker started off the briefing by emphatically saying that government cannot afford to do nothing -- claiming that would increase the cost of coverage for an average family by "$1,800 a year."

Pelosi also shot back at GOP critics who paint the Democratic approach as an unwelcome government intervention into the private relationship between a doctor and a patient. "We hear some of our opponents of reforming health care say that this is putting government between you and your doctor. That is what they say but they are just wrong. What we are doing is removing the health insurance companies from in-between patients and their doctors."

Also at the press conference, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer argued that health-care reform is a moral issue. "Reforming health care is an economic imperative, a budget imperative and a moral imperative."

Both Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn attempted to play down the talk of deep divisions within the Democratic Party over health care. Many recent reports from Capitol Hill have suggested that Blue Dog Democrats are apprehensive about a health-care bill that will dramatically increase spending. In response, Hoyer stated, "I think, to a person, Blue Dogs believe that we need to pass and they want to support health-care reform."

"I think that where we are is a pretty good place with all of this," Clyburn said. "We are much, much, much better off today than we were of Thursday last week."

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Comments

Can't wait for this train wreck to come out.

H.TI (Sent Monday, July 13, 2009 6:08 PM)

We can't afford to do nothing? No Nancy, we can't afford YOU!

The Taxpayers (Sent Monday, July 13, 2009 6:09 PM)

It's beyond the sane minded that the government can have the hospitals cut $400 billion from their budgets, tax the people to the tune of $600,000 and call the HCR cheaper. All this while covering more people with less resources, ie., rationing.

No, this legislation is not good for America. It should be given it's burial and then we can move on.

Cost Controls (Sent Monday, July 13, 2009 6:11 PM)

Rationing is not the answer Nancy. We'll need to get a new Speaker though, because you're to damn dumb to figure it out.

George S., San Jose CA (Sent Monday, July 13, 2009 6:13 PM)

From NBC's Luke Russert
Also at the press conference, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer argued that health-care reform is a moral issue. "Reforming health care is an economic imperative, a budget imperative and a moral imperative."
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They had better get it done. There is no reason for this to fail. We have given them the manpower to do it and they best handel business or 2012 will be filled with new lawmakers with spines.

To hell with their "special interest groups" all of the health insurance companies and drug manufactures they are in bed with. Get out of bed with the pimps and get it done.

Anita, Birmingham, Alabama (Sent Monday, July 13, 2009 6:13 PM)

FR: Also at the press conference, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer argued that health-care reform is a moral issue. "Reforming health care is an economic imperative, a budget imperative and a moral imperative."

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Great Steny. So who's going to pay for this disaster of yours?

Not Me (Sent Monday, July 13, 2009 6:14 PM)

The country is getting tired of the greedy little people that are too lazy to get a job and work for the things they want. They'd rather elect people like Hoyer, Clyburn, and Pelosi to steal from the people that produce in the country and give to the people that do not produce. That game is ending though, the Democrats are running out of people to tax. Democrats, keep taxing the so-called rich people. That's the very people that create the real jobs, not the phony ones Obama is trying (and failing) to create. The school-teacher Obama has no clue how to create a job, and it shows.

GH Tullis, MO (Sent Monday, July 13, 2009 6:19 PM)

Write your representitives, especially you in Democratic districts. Tell them to hell with the liberals destroying the wealth of the country. We don't need this travesty of a bill designed to steal more and more money from the people that work and put into the hands of a corrupt government. Tell them to vote no, each time, everytime to this theft.

Gerry Gregg, Albany NY (Sent Monday, July 13, 2009 6:23 PM)

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