Waxman get breakthrough with Blue Dogs Gets it out of committee.

[Perky]

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has cut a deal to reconvene his committee and vote on the Democrats' sweeping health care bill, with a goal of completing work by the time lawmakers leave town for the summer on Friday.

There won’t be a vote before the full House before the August recess, but the committee breakthrough – after tense negotiations with Blue Dog Democrats – is a significant step for the Democrats.

"After two weeks of very long and intense negotiations, I'm proud to report that we've reached an agreement that will allow health care reform to move forward," said Arkansas Rep. Mike Ross, a top negotiator for Blue Dog Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

As a result of the deal, party leaders have agreed to put off a House vote until the fall, giving members more time to digest the legislation — and opponents more time to attack it.

The Blue Dogs also succeeded in cutting $100 billion from the overall cost of the bill, bringing the total price tag under $1 trillion. The legislation will now exempt small businesses with a payroll less than $500,000 from paying for any government-sponsored health coverage - double the $250,000 in the initial draft. Doctors and other health care providers would also be allowed to negotiate their payment rates with the government-sponsored health care arm.

The new version of the bill also has a breakthrough on the concept of health care “co-ops,” seen by some as an alternative to a public plan. States would be allowed to create co-ops for residents to buy private insurance. But the Waxman-Ross deal will also keeps the "public option" of government-sponsored health care.

The deal clears the way for the committee to restart its consideration of the bill, but only four of the seven Blue Dogs will vote for it in committee - Ross, Tennessee Rep. Bart Gordon, Indiana Rep. Baron Hill and Ohio Rep. Zack Space. But that should be enough to get the bill out of committee.

Several of the Blue Dog negotiators warned that they were not taking a stand as a group on this latest version of the bill, and they have to listen to their constituents back home.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25570.html#ixzz0MfgrUjNL

[ccharles000]

1. k/r

[berni_mccoy]

2. Win One For the PUBLIC OPTION! Woot. I can live with co-ops as long as there is a P.O. in the bill.

[Teaser]

6. co-ops are actually good

so long as they are not a replacement for the public option. the kind of co-op it would take to replace it is really a mammoth udertaking, and would be a public insurance plan in all but name.

but as an add on, they are nice things to have.

[Perky]

3. IF the co-ops actually work to drive down cost and create an opportunity for small businesss

It could reduce the cost of the Public Option. This formulation miught be enough to bring all the mods on boards.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. Blue Dog contact info HERE:

Let'em know how you feel!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6178163

[whosinpower]

5. payroll between 250 000 and 500 000

is NOT my definition of small business.

[Perky]

8. It sure is to me.

It depends on lots of factors. are they carrying an inventory do they have a storefront? If an income is $250k and they have two employees. They are tiny. I mean seriously tiny. the Owner is probably only pocketing maybe $100k a year. You factor in geography and it might be impossible to provide insurance for even himself.

[backscatter712]

9. Hey, I can live with it.

I'll throw a bone to small business, or even to small/medium business, just so long as we get our damned public option!

[Phx_Dem]

7. Harry Reid is no Henry Waxman. Sadly. n/t

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

10. Got that right - Reid's a jackass. He needs to be replaced.

[Wednesdays]

11. K&R

:kick: