Obama Praises Senate Panel, Olympia Snowe

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Health Care

President Obama on Tuesday called the passage of health care legislation in the Senate Finance Committee a "critical milestone" that brings Washington closer to achieving comprehensive health care reform than ever before. He praised the entire Senate committee for its work and specifically thanked Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe -- the one GOP member who supported the measure.

The committee passed a measure "that has both Democratic and Republican support," the president said, thanks to the "tireless efforts of Chairman Max Baucus and the other members of the Senate Finance Committee."

"I want to particularly thank Sen. Olympia Snowe for both the political courage and seriousness of purpose that she has demonstrated throughout this process," Mr. Obama said, speaking in front of the White House.

Despite "significant details and disagreements" to work out, he said the bill "has brought us significantly closer to achieving the core objectives I laid out" for reform. Those include, he said, bringing security to those who have health insurance and affordability to those who do not, slowing the growth of health care costs, setting up a health care "exchange," implementing consumer protections, and keeping the reform package deficit-neutral.

"We are now closer than ever before to passing health care reform, but we're not there yet," Mr. Obama said. "Now's the time to dig in and work even harder to get things done."

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Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by stuart-johns2 October 14, 2009 9:02 AM EDT: This is all about Olympia Snowe. She is not a lone republican supporter. Notice how Nelson of Florida also voted yes, yesterday? Snowe actually bnrings with her about 5 or 6 other Senators including the junior Senator from Maine, Ms. Collins.

So if anything, Snowe is critical in getting the 60 votes necessary to pass ANY bill. She is, right or wrong, the star of the show. And she favors a public option with a trigger. She does not want a bill to pass that automatically includes the public option. She seems willing to give the insurance companies regulations to reduce costs to consumers and if they don't, then she is for a public option.

Snowe seems to feel that a public option offers the gov an unfair advantage over the insurance companies.

So democrats might have to compromise (for now), just to get a bill passed. Later down the road we will have a public option or single payer. After all, that's the real objective for liberals anyway.

But those on the left would be wise to compromise, and prepare to have to compromise on this issue at this time.; Reply to this comment


by sjc_1 October 14, 2009 3:33 AM EDT: This will cause a few companies to get very large and dominate the whole market. We allowed banks to do this and now everyone has become just a number to them. Keep companies operating in the state where they insure the people.; Reply to this comment


by mordecai_machazire October 14, 2009 12:39 AM EDT: Why buying across state lines wont work:
Many Republicans ask to purchase health insurance across state lines as a way to lower the premium costs; they refer the car insurance model which allows an individual to buy across state lines. This makes a lot of sense from the surface but what surprises me is that no Democrat has pointed out the truth behind interstate car insurance purchasing; how it is adjusted to the conditions of that state you live in. If the risk of accidents is higher in my state then my insurance is higher no matter what state I buy that insurance.

Tying this to health care; the message out there seems to be that if I pay $100 per month in a low average income state like Montana that's the same price I would pay if I lived in a bigger city like NY or Chicago, were the average cost of living is higher. If that were the case, that would be a mistake and loss by the Montana insurer; because a state with a lower risk to actual claims will invite clients with higher premiums, meaning Montana residents might get their premiums raised or the insurer would go bankrupt if their low priced premium stays the same while covering more accident prone clients outside their state. This is why car insurers adjust to state accident statistics. Understanding this is where the "crossing state lines" argument should beginning, because we can then debate on whether that is even any effective. I happen to think it complicates thing, in fact I will go on to please the Left and say I am more afraid of state line crossing than their public option, because its adjustment policies will cover much more people and have a greater turnover of claims. This will create a model like the banking system, in which money from states representing that claim crosses to the state were the insured resident lives, and the Lord Jesus himself would love to see insurance claims figure it out in the paper documentation model hospitals are set up. That's not even the bad stuff; the bad stuff is the swamp land created that's perfect for corruption, speculation and greed. I could see Wall Street loving this idea; medical claims bundled from state to state, sold as derivatives to speculators.

Opening state lines is too risky, it is like letting your indoor cat or dog outside alone for the first time, and you never know what may happen. The health care system "works" today because it?s simple, paper transactions, health records on cards; it deliberately lags behind advanced technology despite being the pride of American innovation, it serves as a moderator and cure for our anxiety to always do things faster; this essence of simplicity that ironically was immune to the great recessions and needed no bail outs must be preserved.; Reply to this comment


by stn_sage October 13, 2009 7:11 PM EDT: Politically, I realize he's got to make a statement like this...but as a matter of fact...neither Snowe nor Baucus's committee deserve much of anything for the monstrosity that they have put forward...little alone...praise!

So far, the American public's interest takes a backseat to campaign contributions!; Reply to this comment