GOP Plans Stall Tactics for Health Bill Fight

If there is one, which we hope there isn't. Good idea, say Dems.

(NEWSER) - In the circus that is the Senate these days, a couple of anti-public-option Republicans—Tom Coburn and David Vitter—rolled out an amendment to the health care bill Friday requiring members of Congress to enroll in any such plan that might come to pass. When Dems didn’t object—Sherrod Brown, Chris Dodd, and Al Franken tried to cosponsor, but were rebuffed—GOP senators upped the ante and added in the president. The amended amendment would extend the mandate to the whole executive branch. More»

Stalling tactics are making Democrats turn on each other

(NEWSER) - Senate Democrats are starting to turn on each other like angry drivers stuck in rush-hour traffic thanks to Republican obstructionism, writes EJ Dionne. Republican senators are eating every word they once said against filibusterism and are stalling even legislation that they support in a Machiavellian effort to keep the Democrats from reaching the off-ramp, Dionne writes in the Washington Post. More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama can keep up the bipartisan talk, but it looks like Democrat-sponsored health care reform legislation in Congress has very little chance of winning meaningful GOP support, per the New York Times. GOP lawmakers are balking en masse at the provision for a public plan to challenge private insurers, not to speak of the $1 trillion price tag. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, asked to estimate the number of GOP backers, said: “I think right now, none. Zero.” More»

Lawmakers pledge to overturn law

(NEWSER) - Republicans may not be able to stop health care reform, but they're already thinking about repealing it should they win either house of Congress. The "Repeal It" movement has won pledges from dozens of lawmakers and candidates, reports the Washington Post , including all the Senate hopefuls in Kentucky, Nevada, Kansas, and Missouri. They vow to "repeal any federal health care takeover, and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government." More»

Congressional Democrats were irked at president for skipping town

(NEWSER) - Despite White House assurances to the contrary yesterday, President Obama will postpone his Asian trip for three days to focus on firming up health care reform legislation. Congressional Democrats had expressed dismay that the president was leaving the country as the House approached a deal that may allow them to pass the Senate bill, Politico reports. Obama will depart for Indonesia and Australia on the March 21, not 18—the deadline he gave Congress for a deal—and will trim all sidetrips, leaving Michelle and the girls at home. More»