As August Deadline Approaches In House, Blue Dogs, Liberals, Still Far Apart On Health Care

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A number of high profile Democrats are expressing public doubt that the House can pass health care in the next few days before it’s set to adjourn for August recess. Chief among them is Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD).

“You understand that if we pass something out of committee this week, we’ve got to spend the month of August putting together the three bills,” Hoyer told Roll Call. “Saturday and next week is available. Now whether or not there will be any productive reason to stay for that period of time remains to be seen over the next couple of days.”

Part of the problem, as I suggested earlier, is that the news out of the Senate has widened a rift between House liberals and Blue Dogs. Rep. George MIller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and an author of House health care legislation, isn’t at all pleased with the watered down reform bill the Senate Finance Committee is set to propose.

“I don’t think that adds up to health care reform. It doesn’t add up to insurance reform. It doesn’t add up to keeping costs down. I don’t know what the hell that adds up to,” Miller said.

Meanwhile, Alpha Dog Bart Stupak says the Finance Committee’s expected proposal is yet more evidence that the House needs to scale things back.

“The Senate’s on a completely different agenda,” Stupak said. “I’ve been here long enough, you do a bill and you get a plank sawed off behind you.”

Stupak is one of the seven Blue Dogs on the Energy and Commerce Committee who’s objected to the House’s bill. He and his six allies are now trying to decide whether to back a compromise offered by chairman Henry Waxman–but the Finance Committee’s on such a different–and less progressive–page that they’re wary about striking any kind of deal.

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