I am absolutely confident that you guys will get this done. I am absolutely confident that when I sign this bill in the Rose Garden, each and every one of you will be able to look back and say, ‘This was my finest moment in politics.’
President Barack Obama • Speaking about the health care bill to Democrats, who he urged to do everything in their power to pass the bill. After a key hurdle was It gets voted on tonight in the House. The Senate, where they doesn’t have 60 votes, will be tougher. • source
They knew they had a very big [public relations] problem, and they knew this day was coming. They knew they had to be perceived as coming to the table with solutions. It was a departure from their previous point of view. But they knew they would be slaughtered if it weren’t.
Former Cigna Corp. public relations executive Wendell Potter • Describing the change in tactics that the health care industry has tried to help shape the health care bill in such a way that keeps them in the mix. Many are surprised that the health care industry hasn’t gotten the snot beaten out of it by congress, but the reason is that they’ve been working extra hard to make universal health care something that keeps them in the mix. So yeah, greeeeaaaaaat. • source
The Senate couldn’t push through a Medicare payment bill. An attempt to prevent the 21% reduction of doctors’ Medicare fees couldn’t get through the Senate tonight, with both Republicans and centrist Democrats suggesting the $250 billion price tag was too much. They needed 60 votes to get the bill, supported by the American Medical Association, onto the Senate floor. They got 47. This may be a harbinger of things to come. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is suggesting that much. Have we called him a toolbag lately? source
The Finance Committee’s bill will be combined with a bill passed in July by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. source
After that, the Congressional Budget Office and Senate Democrats will do vetting of the combined bill to make sure it passes muster. source
Finally, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promises, the bill will be voted on by the full Senate by the end of the month. Then the House gets it. source