GOP cool to Obama concessions on healthcare
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Congressional Republicans reacted coolly on Tuesday to President Obama’s latest attempt to build bipartisan support for his healthcare overhaul plan.
A day before he is scheduled to announce his road map for the next steps in the healthcare battle, Obama told congressional leaders by letter that he wants to include four new GOP ideas in his revised plan.
But the proposal had barely been floated when Republicans shot it down.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) dismissed the Obama concessions as “a few items inadequately addressed in a 2,700-page bill” and again urged the president to start over on the legislation.
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia was equally dismissive.
“If the President simply adds a couple of Republican solutions to a trillion-dollar healthcare package that the American people don’t support, it isn’t bipartisanship -- it’s political cover,’ he said.
In a letter released by the White House, Obama rejected any piecemeal approach to healthcare overhaul, continuing to endorse a comprehensive bill. Republicans have criticized this approach, arguing it ensures a growth in government and in its role in healthcare.
Obama thanked the leaders of both parties for attending last week’s summit where they discussed health policy for more than six hours.
“I also left convinced that the Republican and Democratic approaches to healthcare have more in common than most people think,” Obama wrote. “But there were also important areas of disagreement.”
Obama cited four ideas that came from Republicans at the summit that he is exploring. Those include random undercover investigations of healthcare providers to cut down on fraud, abuse and waste, and an appropriation of $50 million to explore ways of resolving medical malpractice disputes. He also mentioned that he was open to ways to increase doctor reimbursement and improvements in health savings accounts.
In his letter, Obama did not discuss what would be the next steps in Congress to pass healthcare overhaul. He is expected to deal with that issue Wednesday and is likely to back some form of reconciliation.
“My ideas have been informed by discussions with Republicans and Democrats, doctors and nurses, healthcare experts, and everyday Americans -- not just last Thursday, but over the course of a yearlong dialogue. Both parties agree that the healthcare status quo is unsustainable. And both should agree that it’s just not an option to walk away from the millions of American families and business owners counting on reform,” Obama said.
“After decades of trying, we’re closer than we’ve ever been to making health insurance reform a reality. I look forward to working with you to complete what would be a truly historic achievement,” he wrote.
-- Michael Muskal
Twitter.com/LATimesmuskal
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks to reporters after the weekly caucus luncheons, Tuesday, March 2, 2010, on Capitol Hill in Washington. From left are, McConnell, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N,H. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)
