[Apologetics] White House, AARP Seek to Capitalize on Senate Health-Care Vote

[Art Kelly]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20091124/pl_bloomberg/aiu2z4sikyis

White House, AARP Seek to Capitalize on Senate Health-Care Vote

Catherine Dodge Tue Nov 24, 12:01 am ET 
 
Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The Obama administration and two major lobbying
groups are seeking to spur momentum for a health- care overhaul after
the U.S. Senate cleared the way for a floor debate that is likely to
extend to Christmas or beyond. 

The administration released a report yesterday showing how states would
benefit from the legislation to expand medical insurance coverage. The
American Medical Association and AARP, which have endorsed the bill,
announced a national television advertisement to highlight how they say
the measure would improve Medicare and to defeat what they called "scare
tactics" by opponents. 

"We know opponents of health-care reform won't rest," Nancy LeaMond, an
AARP executive vice president, said in a statement. The group, which
advocates for the interests of seniors, has 40 million seniors. 

The Republican National Committee countered by releasing an ad targeting
Democratic senators from some Republican-leaning states, saying the
lawmakers "sold out their constituents" by voting to allow the debate to
begin even though the lawmakers object to parts of the legislation. 

"If you know it's a bad bill, why would you vote out a bad bill,"
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said in an
interview on CNN discussing the new ad. 

The campaigns build on what has been record ad spending to influence the
outcome of the health-care debate -- more than $170 million has been
spent on television advertising this year by all sides on the issue,
said Evan Tracey, president of Campaign Media Analysis Group in
Alexandria, Virginia. 

'More Combative' 

"We haven't had this much in such a short period of time" on any other
issue, Tracey said. "As the process has moved on, it's gotten much more
combative." 

As the battle heats up, Senate lawmakers are on a weeklong Thanksgiving
recess. They return next week to start debate on an $848 billion,
10-year plan. It's President Barack Obama's top domestic initiative and
would bring about the biggest changes to the U.S. health-care system
since Congress created the Medicare insurance program for the elderly in
1965. 

The study released yesterday by Health and Human Services Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius said that under an overhaul, 4.5 million California
seniors would get free preventive care services; 565,000 Florida seniors
would have their brand-name prescription drug costs in a Medicare
program cut in half; 24,000 small businesses in Nevada would be helped
by a tax credit to make premiums more affordable. 

No Room for Reid 

While Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, won over two
holdouts in his party hours before the 60-39 vote on Nov. 21 to proceed
with the legislation, he has no room for defections in the Democratic
caucus for final passage, with every Senate Republican opposed. Reid
aims for a final vote by year-end. 

That means settling disagreements over abortion coverage, how to pay for
the expansion, and whether to include a government-run insurance plan,
or public option, to compete with private insurers, such as Hartford,
Connecticut-based Aetna Inc. 

Senators Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, the
last two Democrats to agree to allow the start of debate, are among
those who say big changes must be made in Reid's legislation for them to
vote for the final bill. 

They are also among the lawmakers targeted in the Republican National
Committee's new advertisement, as is Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska,
who has expressed reservations about the bill as it's currently written.


Insurance Mandate 

The legislation is intended to cover 31 million uninsured people and
curb costs. Like a bill passed Nov. 7 by the U.S. House, the Senate plan
would require all Americans to get health coverage. It would set up
insurance-purchasing exchanges and provide subsidies for those who can't
afford coverage. 

Republicans argue the measure will explode the U.S. budget deficit,
cause rationing of health care and fail to produce the cost savings that
are a chief goal. Republican leaders estimate the plan's true cost at
about $2.5 trillion over a decade. 

One major sticking point is the public option. The measure would let
individual states choose not to offer it. 

Another issue is whether to help finance the plan with a 40 percent tax
on high-value insurance policies. Labor unions object to the tax, saying
their members would be hit too hard. 

Nelson, Lincoln and Landrieu oppose the public option and also want
adjustments in the abortion language and more aid for small businesses. 

Lieberman, Snowe 

Senator Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who caucuses with
Democrats, has said he won't support a bill that includes the
government-run plan, as has the only Republican who supported a health
bill in a committee vote, Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine. 

Snowe favors creating a public option only if private insurers aren't
offering enough affordable policies. 

Highlighting the tension over abortion, The U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops sent a letter last week calling the Senate measure an "enormous
disappointment" that didn't "live up to Obama's pledge to bar the use of
federal dollars for abortion." 

Senate Democratic leaders say the measure keeps existing restrictions on
the use of taxpayer money for abortion services. It requires state
insurance purchasing exchanges to offer at least one policy with
abortion coverage and one that doesn't. 

If the Senate passes a bill, it then would work toward a compromise with
the House that require approval in both chambers before a measure could
go to Obama. 

To contact the reporter on this story: Catherine Dodge in Washington at
Cdodge1 at bloomberg.net




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