Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), deflected questions about health care, saying, “We’re not on healthcare now” and “there is no rush.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), said, “Frankly, we’re trying to figure out what is possible.”
The Times presented the following options for health reform:
Wait a few months. Some Democrats do not expect any action on the bill until at least late February. While President Obama recently said he was not going to “walk away” from health reform, every day closer to the November election could reduce chances of passage.
Budget reconciliation. This process could sidestep Republican filibusters, but Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) said they would oppose pushing through health reform using budget reconciliation. Moreover, reconciliation would still have to resolve major differences between the House and Senate bills.
Pared-down bill. Some lawmakers said they expected Congress would try to adopt a much smaller bill when they return to the issue. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) suggested trying to pass parts of the bill that would be understandable to the public.
Reach out to Republicans. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) suggested reaching out one more time to Republicans to “see if they can find a common ground.”
Pass reform in steps. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the president should “move toward the kind of step-by-step approach Americans really want.”
Read the New York Times’ report on health reform.
