The question is who are the Blue Dogs? None of the stories list names. It would be nice to get some names and drop them a letter giving them support for not supporting this boondoggle.
“The seven of us can’t support the bill as it stands,” said Representative Mike Ross of Arkansas, a leader of the Blue Dog Coalition of fiscally conservative Democrats, speaking for a group of lawmakers who met with Obama yesterday to voice concern over a plan unveiled July 14 by House leaders.
Obama spent more than an hour talking with those lawmakers, who are members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has yet to pass its part of the legislation.
To help win over the Blue Dogs, Committee Chairman Henry Waxman agreed to include a provision to create an independent commission to set reimbursement rates for Medicare providers each year. Ross said such a body would take politics out of decisions on the federal insurance program for the elderly.
Waxman, a California Democrat, postponed plans for his panel to debate the legislation today so talks can continue.
‘Turning Point’
During the White House meeting, Obama asked lawmakers to take “a favorable attitude toward his proposal” to set up the five-member commission, Waxman said.
Acknowledging his own “personal misgivings,” Waxman said such a panel would have a lot of power to cut health-care costs. He said he couldn’t speculate on how much authority Congress would ultimately surrender to a commission.
“The Blue Dogs members thought that committee made a lot of sense,” Waxman said. He called the agreement to include such a committee “a major turning point of discussions.”
Ross said the group arrived at the White House with 10 Blue Dog demands and spent most of the time on two priorities: producing a deficit-neutral measure and containing costs.
The current House plan would expand insurance coverage to 97 percent of Americans while adding $239 billion to the budget deficit over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The Blue Dogs say it doesn’t do enough to control the spiraling costs of Medicare and Medicaid.
Airing Grievances
Indiana Representative Baron Hill, another Blue Dog Democrat, said the group heard a great deal from Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel during the meeting at the White House.
“A few choice words were used,” Hill said.
Obama ramped up the pressure amid concern that deadlines are slipping. He has asked the House and Senate to pass their versions before their summer breaks. The House plans to adjourn July 31, and the Senate intends to go home a week later.
The increasing likelihood that Congress won’t meet the deadline was underscored by Hoyer, a Maryland representative and the No. 2 House Democrat, when he said his members may leave town without voting on the legislation.
“I don’t think staying in session” is “necessary to continuing to work on getting consensus,” Hoyer said at a news conference. “Obviously, members have concerns.”
Ok dumb question, How much do we pay the members whom are picked to be on these commitee's?
