Grassley Sees Ways Around Health Care Obstacles

Sen. Kent Conrad's proposal to create health care cooperatives, rather than a government-sponsored insurance plan, could be a way to reach a compromise -- as long as the cooperatives are not also set up to be government-run, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) tells CBS News political consultant John Dickerson on CBSNews.com's politics Web show "Washington Unplugged."

"Setting up a cooperative along that line might be a way of compromising," says Grassley, who is the top Republican on a Senate committee responsible for health care reform. He says President Obama seems open to discussing various proposals in the reform package, incuding the co-op plan.

"But now, Senator Schumer has put some ideas into that, and quite frankly, I think that his efforts could change it so it would be interpreted as a public option," he says.

Including a government-sponsored plan, or "public option," in the plan will prove to be a litmus test for whether it gains bipartisan support, Grassley says, because his party sees it as "a back door to Canadian styled health insurance."

Grassley tells Dickerson the other obstacles standing in the way of a bipartisan bill, such as tax proposals or plans that would "ration" health care.

You can watch the interview below, as well as the rest of the show which includes interviews with filmaker Robert Kenner and author Michael Pollan about the documentary "Food, Inc." and with Kennedy Corpus of Green Bay who got a note from Mr. Obama yesterday to give to her teacher.

[earlysaid]

A compromise is needed and it needs to be the republicans who compromise. So far they have done nothing but be the no to everything. It is their responsibility to represent what most people in this country need and that is health care coverage. Too many people suffer terribly if they or a family member is diagnosed with cancer, a premature baby, heart disease, or any number of other health conditions. It is time to give people the support we all need to have the government health coverage.

[stn_sage]

Grassley has been fighting against national health care for decades!

You can safely bet, it is because "he's in their pockets"!

After working on this issue FOR DECADES! He STILL doesn't have a complete, workable plan?! He either isn't trying---he's wasting time---or he's an idiot!

IF the NEW plan is going to be left in private hands, it's not a COOPERATIVE and it won't work!

The Dem politicians need to understand, the vast majority of the public DOESN'T CARE what a few "nut-jobs" Rep congressmen think! Put a feasible plan together, and GET IT DONE! The public wants RESULTS---that we didn't get in 8 years under BUSH and the GOP! Got it?!

Finally, I agree with sjc_1---do a plan, but DON'T make
it MANDATORY, because it won't work, and you'll be formally announcing to the public that democracy has been replaced with an olligarchial form of COMMUNISM!

You don't want to do THAT!

[starleo146]

Grassley is unsure, what will it take for him to know what a mess it is in today. He doesn't care probably got insurance lobbyist in his pocket. If he is unclear he needs to resign, not fit to represent his constituents

[sjc_1]

National Health Insurance ....YES. Mandatory ...NO.

If Democrats force mandatory then they will be blamed forever. Just do optional National Health Insurance and see how it goes. The 40 million uninsured may become insured if there employers can find affordable insurance. Do NOT make it mandatory.