GOP House Leaders Say They'll Meet With White House On Health Care If They Start Over
Posted by Jim Hoft on Monday, February 8, 2010, 8:30 PM
The GOP says they will agree to meet with Obama over the Health Care bill if he agrees to start over from scratch.
47% of Americans want Congress to start over on health care. Only 23% want the current bill proposed by democrats.
The Corner posted the GOP letter to the White House today:
Mr. Emanuel:
We welcome President Obama’s announcement of forthcoming bipartisan health care talks. In fact, you may remember that last May, Republicans asked President Obama to hold bipartisan discussions on health care in an attempt to find common ground on health care, but he declined and instead chose to work with only Democrats. Since then, the President has given dozens of speeches on health care reform, operating under the premise that the more the American people learn about his plan, the more they will come to like it. Just the opposite has occurred: a majority of Americans oppose the House and Senate health care bills and want them scrapped so we can start over with a step-by-step approach focused on lowering costs for families and small businesses.
Just as important, scrapping the House and Senate health care bills would help end the uncertainty they are creating for workers and businesses and thus strengthen our shared commitment to focusing on creating jobs. Assuming the President is sincere about moving forward on health care in a bipartisan way, does that mean he will agree to start over so that we can develop a bill that is truly worthy of the support and confidence of the American people? Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said today that the President is “absolutely not” resetting the legislative process for health care.
If the starting point for this meeting is the job-killing bills the American people have already soundly rejected, Republicans would rightly be reluctant to participate.
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Opus #6 commented:
This is great news. I am so glad that the Republicans are making preconditions and are not willingly going to be patsies for the Democrats.
enoxo commented:
Obama responded: No.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/02/08/gibbs-responds-boehner-cantor
The President is adamant that we seize this historic moment to pass meaningful health insurance reform legislation. He began this process by inviting Republican and Democratic leaders to the White House on March 5 of last year, and he’s continued to work with both parties in crafting the best possible bill. He’s been very clear about his support for the House and Senate bills because of what they achieve for the American people: putting a stop to insurance company abuses, extending coverage to millions of hardworking Americans, getting control of rising premiums and out-of-pocket costs, and reducing the deficit.
The President looks forward to reviewing Republican proposals that meet the goals he laid out at the beginning of this process, and as recently as the State of the Union Address. He’s open to including any good ideas that stand up to objective scrutiny. What he will not do, however, is walk away from reform and the millions of American families and small business counting on it. The recent news that a major insurer plans to raise premiums for some customers by as much as 39 percent is a stark reminder of the consequences of doing nothing.
olm commented:
I sure hope they stick to this approach.
Male Silverback commented:
We are going to be sold down the river. I can smell it.
gus commented:
It’s all about COMPREHENSIVE health care reform.
If it isn’t COMPREHENSIVE it isn’t Kosher.
Robert commented:
We don’t need any bills that are longer than
the Constitution of the United States.
Kenny Solomon commented:
I know much of what’s on GP gets back to at least some of the CongressCritters who are supposedly on our side of the aisle, so y’all in DC listen up and listen good……
Do not meet with “the administration”….. just don’t.
Fight them.
If you don’t, then you are as guilty as them of failing to protect and defend The Constitution of The United States.
The only way they want to work with you is to help you put the noose around your own neck.
Understand this very clearly: We’re watching you more than we’re watching them. We know what they’re gonna do. Don’t you dare play their game, because it’s not a game…… It’s our freedom.
It’s our nation.
You work for us.
Kenny Solomon
DC Works For Us
http://www.dcworksforus.com
wanumba commented:
No. And Hell No.
Robert commented:
So because they couldn’t ram their travesty of a bill
down our throats now they want to make nicey-nice.
And if they could, it would be right back to their totalitarian ways.
DesertRose commented:
I agree with some of the other posters that the GOP should not get involved with Obama. He is as slippery as an eel and I would not trust him. I personally do not want the government involved in any part of my healthcare. It’s as simple as that.
exceller commented:
Yes for heavens sake start over. However I would add the additional caveat that the start over won’t happen until the next congress. Republicans will be making the rules and heading up the committees. This congress had its chance and blew it. They cannot be trusted, so the only acceptable answer this year is for Republicans to stick to their guns, NO DEALS.
Solaratov commented:
Kenny Solomon
February 8th, 2010 | 9:08 pm | #8
Well said.
Lily commented:
If they can’t get their obnoxious bill passed (yea!), they SHOULD start over.
Peter Warner commented:
Kenny Solomon @8:
+100
Best regards, Peter Warner.
Nahanni commented:
Michelle Malkin is right…
Obama’s Kabuki summit invitation: Just say no
http://michellemalkin.com/2010/02/08/obamas-kabuki-summit-invitation-just-say-no/
Bob commented:
They want some money too.
chili palmer commented:
Please understand. This is the NY Times, Washington Post, all the TV networks, PLUS Obama and all the money in the world trying to define this as a GOP issue. They don’t need the GOP to pass anything.They never should have responded to Obama’s so-called invitation to sit in a stuffy classroom and be called on like 6 year olds in school for all the world to see. Even the newspapers are getting mad that Obama keeps going on tv instead of having press conferences so THEY can be on tv. Do not answer this again. Obama doesn’t need republicans to pass ANYTHING. This is just a sick game. No more, please. Remember what these people are capable of. Sarah Palin’s Church had a gasoline like substance poured around it, including around the doors so children inside would be burned alive, then it was lit on fire. Children inside at the time were just lucky to get out in time.
sandy commented:
Its another TV propaganda event designed to make the Republicans look like Professional Againsters.
What Obama is saying to Republicans is you are welcome to join me and the Democrats and share the blame for this Healthcare Boondoggle but I will not insert anything in this 2,700 page bill which you suggest because I don’t need you to pass this bill.
Robb76 commented:
I am worried. The Republicans in congress have demonstrated so many time in the past, that they can pull defeat from the jaws of victory better then anyone.
Joel commented:
Read my lips…No health care.
I have trouble paying for my own, let alone a bunch of other people’s health care too!
Any Democratic health care plan will screw a lot of people…either with high costs or lousy health services.
There is NO way you are going to get health care for FREE…get over it.
BuryMeInAGeorgeWashingtonTShirt commented:
The Dems are like date rapists; you say ‘no’ and they still persist.
Hedgehog commented:
The proper way to offer ideas is by the introduction of legislation. Offer bills that put forth the Republican position and ideas, and let the House and Senate vote on them. Get it all on the record, then see which one is the “Party of NO”.
Finncrisp commented:
The meeting is a scam; the deck is stacked, the die is cast. No change possible for the entrenched Marxist plot to destroy America’s healthcare system. Barry is just looking for useful idiots to line up with his useful idiots on his side of the fence.
No thanks, Barry.
AuntieMadder commented:
Reducing the cost of health care shouldn’t require a health care bill, anyway, should it? Seems it can best be accomplished with tort reform (would require some legislation), deregulation of health insurance to enable interstate policy sales (repealing current legislation?), and repealing legislation that requires employers to provide health insurance. Then, you don’t have one humongous bill that has tentacles reaching into all areas of health care that would require further legislation should changes need to be made down the road. Instead, there are smaller bills and less legislation, so that should changes be required down the road, a whopping piece of legislation doesn’t end up even more gigantic with amendments.