White House Pushes for Passage of Senate Health Care Bill

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Health Care

(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has a formidable task ahead of him this month as he tries to get 60 senators to allow for a vote in favor of his comprehensive health care reform package. The White House doesn't intend to let him go at it alone, however.

The Obama administration has been coordinating its health care messaging with Democratic leaders in the Senate according to various reports. Reid will "get backing from war rooms on Capitol Hill and in the White House, where operatives with a coordinated strategy stand ready to amplify the floor debate," Politico reports.

Meanwhile, the White House released today a video featuring Vice President Joe Biden, who asks, "Who do you trust?" when it comes to explaining what health insurance reform means. The video features physicians and nurses advocating for reform.

Reports last week said President Obama assigned a blog post from the Atlantic's Ron Brownstein, which praises the Senate health care bill, as required reading for all White House staff working on health care.

The White House has been working furiously on the issue behind the scenes all year, and the Associated Press reported last week exactly with whom. Administration officials have met with hundreds of lobbyists and others involved in the debate this year, the AP after obtaining 575 visitor records from the White House.

For more on the status of the current health care debate, check out CBSNews.com's latest Health Care Progress Report.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by mikeoliphant December 1, 2009 1:32 PM EST: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) released a merged version of the Senate comprehensive reform on 11/19/09,
which Mike Oliphant, whom manages www.benefitsmanager.net for Utah based health insurance plans for employers could get
behind and support some of it (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or H.R. 3590).
This should encourage the private sector health insurance carriers to form INSURANCE EXCHANGES which is what we have
done here in Utah. They carry the risk and burden, not the tax payer. See more about this at www.utahhealthplans.info
You would be surprised about the willingness of carriers to co-share risk amongst their immediate competitors. They simply
focus on profit from the 4 to 5 percent administration fees. A government run public option could not achieve this.; Reply to this comment


by nomorewars November 30, 2009 8:09 PM EST: This is gonna be a disgrace.; Reply to this comment

by lightningF November 30, 2009 3:12 PM EST

Will not sign a bill that adds one dime to the deficit. Sounds like another lie from the liar-n- chief again.

Reply to this comment


by velma179 November 30, 2009 3:20 PM EST: The bill will not add dime to the deficit (as per the CBO figures) -- it will over time actually DECREASE the deficit.

Get a few facts before you start calling folks names.

PS -- Who, in government today, do YOU think doesn't lie... or "predict incorrectly", which is what actually happens most often?

I am sincerely curious as to your answer.

by velma179 November 30, 2009 1:49 PM EST

I intend to continue to spread the truth about this legislation.

I'll start here:

The "Public Option" is only ONE small part of the legislation. It will not be paid for by initiating or collecting taxes. It will be paid for by the PEOPLE who CHOOSE (Option is a synonym for Choice!) this plan using the same system as Private Insurance Plans (which will STILL be offered and thrive) -- premiums, co-pays and deductibles, etc.

There is NOTHING in the proposed legislation that will establish a "government takeover of health care". That is a lie... just because it gets repeated over and over by opponents of reform does not make it true or factual.

The legislation includes both health care service reform (cutting costs for the actual procedures and administrative functions of actual patient care) AND health insurance reform (such as protecting Americans from being denied coverage for pre-existing conditions or being forced into bankruptcy by costs incurred if they reach a "cap" in insurance dollars or are dropped from coverage when they need it most).

Medicare SERVICES to seniors will not be cut to pay for this. The money coming from Medicare comes from streamlining and cleaning up fraud and abuse as well as from funds that are currently subsidizing Insurance Companies (which since they are spending millions daily to defeat this, have ENOUGH money without taking YOUR TAX DOLLARS also).

The legislation is being fought by the same type of voices (ideologues) that also fought Medicare in the 1960's. They used fear, dire predictions based on nothing but bogus speculation, misinformation and outright lies then and over time, they have been soundly proven wrong!
They still are wrong.

Have faith in the strength of America. The MAJORITY wants this reform. Any other group claiming a "majority" status must be talking in a lot of mirrors... smoky, disingenuous mirrors full of ignorance and gullibility.

Reply to this comment


by lightningF November 30, 2009 3:14 PM EST: There is nothing in this bill that regulates the health insurance companies from increasing cost to the user.This is not reform it is Government take over.