White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel tells the New York Times that the administration may be giving up on finding a bipartisan way to pass health care reform.
“The Republican leadership has made a strategic decision that defeating President Obama’s health care proposal is more important for their political goals than solving the health insurance problems that Americans face every day,” he said.
Some Republicans, such as Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ), have suggested their party won’t support any bill.
“There is no way that Republicans are going to support a trillion-dollar-plus bill,” Kyl said. “I have no doubt that they can make it revenue neutral to find enough ways to tax the American people, but that doesn’t mean the Republicans will support it.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the chief GOP negotiator on the Senate Finance Committee, has said he won’t vote for a bill without wide Republican support.
And the Republican National Committee has attacked co-ops, a concession some Democrats are willing to make instead of pushing the public option.
Late update: Press Secretary Robert Gibbs denies that President Obama has given up on bipartisanship.
