Roll Call: Majority Hunts For Final Votes
Roll Call reports that House Democrats are on a final push for the last votes they’ll need to pass health care reform: The strategy so far appears to combine a call for party loyalty with an argument for the measure on its merits — while publicly creating a sense of inevitability around its passage. And leaders are also pursuing targeted carrot-and-stick appeals to the self-interests of Members nervous about their re-election prospects. ‘It’s conversations about your future around this place and, with the White House, about what you’re going to get’ in terms of political support, one senior Democratic aide said.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET. Obama will meet with senior advisers at 10 a.m. ET. Obama will have lunch at 12 p.m. ET with Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine. Obama and Biden will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden had breakfast at 7:45 a.m. ET this morning with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at the Naval Observatory. He will attend President Obama’s daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET. At 11 a.m. ET, Biden will chair a regular meeting of senior officials, to assess progress in Iraq. He will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET with President Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Mitchell Cancels Mideast Trip As Israel Feud Deepens
White House Middle East Envoy George Mitchell has delayed his planned trip to Israel indefinitely, in the wake of the recent diplomatic feuding between the United States and Israel over expanded settlement construction. It is now unclear when the proposed indirect talks, which were to be mediated by Mitchell, will begin.
Senate Breaks Filibuster On Jobs Bill
The Senate last night broke a Republican filibuster of the $35 billion job bills, voting by a margin of 61-30 to end debate. The measure will come up for a final vote, in which it will in all likelihood pass, and will then be sent to President Obama for his signature.
Student Lenders Protest ‘Government Takeover’ Effort
The Hill reports that the student-loan business is mobilizing to keep a proposed overhaul of the industry from being incorporated into the health care bill: “They are doing so in part by using the same type of rhetoric critics of the healthcare bill have used, warning of a government takeover and nationalization of the lending business if Democrats win the day.”
DeMint Not Committing To Support Romney Again
CNN reports that Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) is not sure he will endorse Mitt Romney for president again, after having supported Romney in 2008. “Mitt is still near the top of my list of candidates, but I want to look and see who steps up to the plate,” said DeMint said after a fundraiser with Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio. “Frankly I think we need to wait until after the 2010 election to see what happens in Congress.”
