SC6 Looks Into the Genie Lamp .... There Will Be No Health Care Bill This Year .

I Dream of Universal Health Care ......

Every once in a while, we need to show you that we aren't just a reactionary blog. Reporting what already happened makes us no better than yesterday's newspaper. No, sometimes, we need to look not just into tomorrow, but a couple months into the future - and sometimes, years.....

According to an article in today's TheHill.com, at least 23 Democrats in the House of Representatives, mostly from the Sun Belt states, have stated that they will vote 'no' on their party's Health Care bill. That is approximately 60% of the wiggle room that Nancy Pelosi has to pass the bill without Republican support. The GOP has promised that they are 100% united in opposition to the Democrats' plan....

Common logic would say that the proper step would be to develop a plan that would attract these moderate Democrats, and garner some Republican support - namely a plan that would not include a public option. Sounds easy enough, right? Uh, not quite.... The Congressional Black Caucus has promised to vote no on a bill that doesn't include the public option, and as many as 60 other Dems will bail as well. Thus, the teeter-totter of legislation begins ......

Personally, I think a bi-partisan bill with equal approval from both sides would be optimal. Does that look possible? I doubt it. There are plenty of Republicans who feel that the Federal Government has no place in the health care business. It's not really a subject where we are going to get a majority of both parties to find a solution. A bill where 150 Democrats and 150 Republicans are signing up is almost impossible. Even Senate Democrats have enough sense to not want to hammer through a plan that has no Republican support - Nancy Pelosi doesn't, but they do.

Reading the tea leaves of this , we have the feeling that this is going to be dead legislation. Senate Democrats are not going to jam a bill up the GOP's ass - it's too contraversial a bill to force. So, the possibility of a resoultion bill between both houses never coming to pass increases with each day. Yes, the Democrats COULD shove this bill through, but they read polls, and they know that today's win could be next November's loss....

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