With the focus on the Senate side of Capitol Hill, aides on the House side tell TPMDC they are just waiting patiently but not really expecting to be considered during the negotiations down the hall.
After deploying a 5-person health care team to kickstart talks yesterday, the White House has taken a step back. TPMDC hears there is no official meeting today as the administration lets Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid work through the merging of the two Senate bills and as he meets with his caucus.
The White House will stay involved in the process through staffers who hope to play a constructive role, but it’s Reid’s game now. (As Sen. Chuck Schumer said yesterday.)
As Brian noted, Nancy Pelosi is pushing hard on public option, but it’s unlikely Senators are considering antyhing other than reaching the key 60-vote threshold on their end.
It’s a long way off until a merged (and passed) Senate bill heads to the other chamber, and House aides suggested they feel irrelevant, for the time being.
There’s a bit of a tug-of-war going on within the Democratic caucus, with liberals believing they should stand firm with Pelosi on a full public option and moderates fearing political consequences in 2010.
