President Obama will offer a much smaller healthcare proposal than Senate or House bills this week!

[Better Believe It]

Obama said poised to offer more healthcare changes
By Patricia Zengerle
March 1, 2010

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will offer changes to his healthcare overhaul this week, the White House said on Monday, and a leading Democrat said the president was preparing a smaller version of his broad bid to revamp the $2.5 trillion industry.

"The president will speak on this later in the week, likely on Wednesday," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. "He'll discuss process and policy."

Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives, said Obama would soon propose a healthcare bill "much smaller" than either the bill passed by the House or the one passed by the Senate.

"In a matter of days, we will have a proposal," Pelosi said during an event in Denver, according to Fox News. "It will be a much smaller proposal than we had in the House bill, because that's where we can gain consensus. But it will be big enough to put us on a path of affordable, quality healthcare for all Americans that holds insurance companies accountable."

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61O4NV20100301?type=politicsNews

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. Jesus, Fucking. Christ.

What a bunch of mealy-mouthed bullshit these people spin. :puke:

[DJ13]

2. I thought they couldnt change anything without endangering reconciliation?

At least thats the excuses we've been told when it came to moving the legislation closer to the House bill instead of passing the Senate version as written.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

6. IMO, nothing in the OP rules out reconciliation itself as what Obama will speak about

Reconciliation would deal only with relatively small changes in the Senate-passed HCR bill, which would be passed as-is by the House simultaneously with a reconciliation vote in the Senate.

You may be getting upset about clever re-framing of reconciliation itself.

[cprompt]

3. why am I still disappointed at this point

I mean honestly, with the wave of support he had going in to office, I expected so much more than this. They've effectively changed the conversation from public option to what will eventually be a joke of HCR.

[upi402]

4. thought the house has to first send a bill to senate, then obama signs

smaller proposal shmoposal

[AlinPA]

5. This looks like it's over now. We will hear a big No from conservadems and and DeMint will declare

mission accomplished.

[ArcticFox]

7. I'm elated

Just a few months ago, the replies to this thread would have all been along the lines of "you can't judge this before you see what Obama proposes" or "Obama will probably recommend the public option."

Finally, I see people waking up to reality. Only when there are enough of us who truly understand there is no HOPE under the present system can the present system finally be CHANGED.

[boston bean]

18. you spoke to soon

see right below this....

[ArcticFox]

25. They're doing the same thing about the RI teacher firings

Saying the president is being strong and brave, etc.

[ChicagoSuz219]

8. Not everything in the Bill can be passed by Reconciliation...

...only budget-related items.

The rest will be covered in side bills.

Chill, everyone. The President's got our backs; let's have his.

[msongs]

9. gee will he let the Republicans write it for him so they will love him more? nt

[tabatha]

10. Maybe he should not have even tried.

[SammyWinstonJack]

26. +1

:evilgrin:

[stray cat]

11. DU is complaining already - maybe it gets rids of the "evil mandates" so many DUers protest

that would be smaller. And if there is no mandate - there is no reason to subsidize as much.

[Better Believe It]

13. The proposal will certainly not include the "evil" public option and tax on the wealthy

It might include the tax on health insurance benefits and mandatory private insurance fines and fees.

We shall see.

[O is 44]

12. I'll wait to hear from the President first n/t

[Better Believe It]

14. But what if President Obama presents a newer proposal next week?

And what if Obama now says he supports a public option that he was against last week after he was for it and might be against it next week?

It might start to get confusing!

[TheWebHead]

15. I think it's positive news reflective of the current political, economic and fiscal reality

depending on the details of the plan. If it's consistent with what we've heard was being proposed by Rahm that could've passed long ago and not sidetracked every other agenda and severely eroded Obama's political capital then I'll be aboard. "Small ball" is the way to go if we want to retain control of congress, despite the feeling I get at DU that many would prefer to be in the minority where they can feel more comforted in constantly bitching and moaning about everything 24/7.

[blindpig]

30. What's the difference?

We are 'bitching and moaning' about the same things anyway, the D's & R's don't seem to make a damn bit of difference.

[Bluebear]

16. "The bill I sign MUST include a Public Option."

:silly:

[piratefish08]

21. until it doesn't.

[Bluebear]

24. nodding

[WVRICK13]

17. It's Time To Stop The Insanity

They are never going to pass a decent health care bill so they should just can it for now. The health care bill has become a distraction from the more demanding issue of the economy. We have to fix this damned ship before it sinks, then we can take on health care. I favor totally socialized health care but not some watered down mess. Fix the economy and come back to health care when people are in better economic positions. I am aware of the arguments for passing something and fixing it alter but I do not seriously believe anything will be fixed later.

[Vinca]

19. Apparently a whole lot of us have to face the reality that it's

likely we'll die prematurely for lack of health care in the wealthiest nation of earth.

[Change Happens]

29. It is the suffering that sucks, people who just die suddenly are gone and that's it, but people

who lack health insurance or money, suffer in pain and miseary...etc.

[rug]

20. How many times were we told last year that the President doesn't write bills?

Now that health care has been beaten to a pulp and lies bleeding in the corner, I guess we were misinformed.

[Inuca]

22. Pelosi's spokesman corrects Fox Noise distortion about health care bill

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x204012

[backscatter712]

23. You beat me to it! n/t

[dionysus]

27. .

[bluestateguy]

28. You know

I think I'll wait to hear what the President has to say first, and not some pissant, up and coming reporter trying to "teach" us uneducated simps with her superficial analysis.