Blue Dogs were able to Water Down House Health Care Bill

From Jeff Muskus at Huffungton Post:

Conservative Blue Dog Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are celebrating their success in delaying a full floor vote on health care legislation past the August recess and in weakening two key provisions during their negotiations with committee Chairman Henry Waxman.

"We have successfully pushed a floor vote to September," Mike Ross (D-Ark.) told reporters Wednesday afternoon. "The American people want us to slow down, and that's what we're doing here."

The Blue Dogs wrestled major concessions out of Waxman (D-Calif.), particularly related to a public health care option and employer mandates. The committee's current version of the public option now more closely resembles that of the health committee in the Senate, Ross proudly announced.

For instance, rather than linking the public option to the rates enjoyed by Medicare, the new language would require a separate agreement with significantly higher charges, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius would also have to sign off on any deal between the public option and service providers, while the plan would lack Medicare's bargaining power.

"The public option must go out and negotiate with providers, just like private health insurance companies do," Ross said. "It's strictly optional. It won't be mandated on anyone. It will not be based on Medicare rates."

Close to 86 percent of small businesses -- those with an annual payroll of $500,000 or less -- will be exempt from the mandate to provide employees with health insurance, according to the terms of the compromise. Those with an annual payroll between $500,000 and $750,000 must provide graduated partial assistance.

"That's as close as you can get to totally removing the mandate without removing it," Ross said. "Quite frankly, once you get up to three-quarter million a year in annual payroll, as a former small business owner myself, most of them are already providing health insurance, and if they're not, they should."

Under the original draft legislation, Ross said, barely one-fifth the number of businesses would have been exempted.

The Blue Dog negotiators -- Ross, Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), Baron Hill (D-Ind.) and Zack Space (D-Ohio) -- account for a majority of the seven swing Blue Dogs on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and their approval marks a big step toward passing the bill out of committee and onto the floor, where it will be reconciled with the two other health reform bills from the Ways and Means and Education and Labor committees.

Ross said he and the other committee Blue Dogs are determined to keep the cost of the final bill under $1 trillion over 10 years. He stumbled a bit, however, on the question of how many Americans he expects a weaker bill to cover.

"As many as when we went into these -- our objective has always been to make health insurance affordable for as many people as we can in this country," he said, but estimated another 10 steps between the current bill and the one that will reach President Obama's desk. "There's going to be a lot of changes between now and then." more at link.

Lets hope there will be alot of changes for the better because we can't afford not to have a good bill with a good Public Option. I am hoping more people will demand that of their Senators and Reps. If not, we are doomed to a bad bill like Medicare part D.

Rahm Emanuel meets with Blue Dogs

Rham Emanuel had a meeting with the House Blue Dogs and Huffington Post is reporting that Rahm said there could be a vote next week.

"I can tell you what I know, which is that the speaker today announced to the caucus that their intention is to go next week, and she is working toward that goal," Emanuel said.

Emanuel also said he was pleased by Republicans' vows to obstruct the bill.

Emanuel shrugged off Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) comments Wednesday that health care is Obama's "Waterloo" and remarks Thursday by Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) that Republicans are plotting the bill's demise on a "week by week" basis.

"At least they're honest about their motivation. Their view about health care is about defeating President Obama," he said. "Politically, I actually appreciate what they said."

I don't know how to take this view by Emanuel. I am hoping he is being facetious. I am still very leary of Emanuel.

Also in the article was a blurb about Waxman that maggiesboy already reported:

Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) announced that he may let the health care bill bypass his Energy and Commerce Committee, saying there is "no alternative" if Blue Dog Democrats don't accept a deal worked out Friday.

"I won't allow them to hand over control of our committee to Republicans," Waxman told reporters.

Asked about Waxman's suggestion, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told the Huffington Post that he'd prefer at this point to go through the regular committee process.

I'd like to see the House bill on the floor and voted on before the recess so that the Senate would be forced to keep it as a priority after recess.

UPDATE: From Huffington Post:

Health care reform negotiations between conservative Democrats and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) collapsed Friday afternoon, a leading Blue Dog Democrat said.

"It pretty much fell apart this afternoon," Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) told reporters just off the House floor. Ross has been the lead Blue Dog negotiator in the committee.

Waxman met with Blue Dogs this afternoon and took a hard line, Ross said. The Blue Dogs thought they had agreement on an independent commission to reduce Medicare reimbursement rates and on using Senate HELP Committee language to create a public option that Americans could buy in to.

Waxman, said Ross, came into a meeting with Blue Dogs this afternoon and said both were off the table.

"That leaves the chairman with not enough votes to get the bill out of committee," said Ross.

Earlier Friday, Waxman suggested he was willing to go around the Blue Dogs in his committee if need be.

Ross had little hope of reaching an agreement any time soon. "It's my understanding that will be the last meeting we have. He's talking about a full meeting of the full Democratic caucus of Energy and Commerce," said Ross. "It's a Friday afternoon. We've got about an hour's worth of votes. I have no idea if it's actually going to happen or not."

A reporter asked Ross as he walked on to the House floor: "So there's no possibility of a deal now?"

"No," he said firmly.

--

Doesn't look good. Hope they can pull something off.

UPDATE II: From TPM:

Earlier today, Waxman lashed out at the conservative Democrats for trying to "eviscerate" house health care legislation, and threatened to bypass their concerns completely in order to get a timely floor vote on a healthy bill. That seems to have sent tempers flaring.

"It pretty much fell apart this afternoon," said key Blue Dog Mike Ross (D-AR), who called Waxman's rhetoric "not helpful," according to Congressional Quarterly.

"It's my understanding that will be the last meeting we have," Ross said.

Now the ball is in Waxman's court. Will he try to mark the bill up anyhow? Or will he freeze them out completely. Democratic leaders will host a caucus meeting on Monday to address all members' concerns about the bill--a sign, perhaps, that they aren't going to wait for this intra-panel tiff to be resolved. If that's the case, all eyes will return again to the Blue Dogs to see whether they'll revolt against the bill. Showdown!

Go Waxman!!!

Chairman Henry Waxman gives closing remarks and calls for Doan’s resignation:

Chairman Waxman:
“It’s unusual for me to ever call for the resignation of a federal official, but in your case I don’t see any other course of action that will protect the interests of your agency and the federal taxpayer. No one can be an effective leader who has abused the trust of her employees, and threatened to deny promotions and bonuses to employees for telling the truth. And no one can be an effective leader who has lost the public’s confidence, politicizing the agency and violating the Hatch Act. Yet that is exactly what you have done. I give you my opinion, just as others have given you their opinion. It will be up to the President of the United States who appointed you to decide what to do with the recommendation by this Office of Special Counsel that recommends the President remove you from this office. I would urge you to resign.”

Taking the Fifth and asking for Immunity...

This time it is from a former Rove aide that used to work for Jack Abramoff. Her name is Susan Ralston.

Here from the Committe on Oversight and Reform:

Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Administration Oversight
Former Rove Aide Testifies to Committee but Refuses to Answer Questions Related to Abramoff Contacts with the White House

At a deposition earlier this month, Susan Ralston, the former executive assistant to Karl Rove, responded to questions in a number of areas but would not answer questions about White House contacts with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and her lawyer said Ms. Ralston would assert her Fifth Amendment privilege if compelled to testify. In a memo, Chairman Waxman explains the Committee will seek testimony from Mr. Abramoff’s former lobbying associates and former and current Administration officials before considering Ms. Ralston’s request for immunity.

This will be another interesting hearing.

Waxman Considering Four Subpoenas

From the Committee for Oversight and Government Reform's web sight.....


Friday, April 20, 2007Administration Oversight
Committee to Consider Four Subpoenas to Further Investigations
The Oversight Committee will hold a business meeting on Wednesday, April 25, at which four subpoenas for testimony and documents will be considered. The subpoenas under consideration are for:

The testimony of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the fabricated claim that Iraq sought uranium from Niger and other issues;

The testimony of former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card regarding the leak of Valerie Plame Wilson’s covert identity and White House security procedures;

RNC documents related to possible violations of the Presidential Records Act and the Hatch Act by White House officials;


Contacts between the White House and MZM, a federal contractor implicated in bribery charges.

Waxman looking into Haliburton Move

More on the Haliburton move to Dubai from the Time-blog
When I said earlier it doesn't sound right, I guess I wasn't the only one. There's also more of this story at the Financial Times

Is this about tax breaks? Getting beyond the reach of congressional subpoenas? And what about all that sensitive information that Halliburton has had access to? At a minimum, reincorporating in Dubai would mean that Halliburton will be paying less taxes to the U.S. Treasury, even as it collects billions from government contracts.

The last paragraph of the FT story begins to answer the questions about Halliburton's, uh, interestingly timed decision to move its corporate headquarters:

Dubai has long positioned itself as a regional business hub, with a laisser faire attitude to business regulations. The government has launched several free zones allowing foreign firms to circumvent laws barring foreigners owning businesses.

Karen Tumulty from Time-blog also has this UPDATE: Henry Waxman is likely to hold a hearing on this, an aide tells me.

I am sure there will be more to this story.

Waxman challanges the Pentagon

Well this story is growing by the day! Here's what is happening since Rep. Henry Waxman sent out subpeonas to get answers about what is going on at Walter Reed...

From the Blotter that, for some reason, won't let me link:

Waxman to Force Walter Reed Ex-Chief to Talk About Problems Contract
March 02, 2007 3:42 PM

Justin Rood and Anna Schecter Report:
A powerful Democratic congressman is challenging the Pentagon, which is attempting to block the former chief of Walter Reed Army Medical Center from testifying before Congress next week.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Henry Waxman, D-Calif., wants to ask Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman about a contract to manage the medical center awarded to a company that had documented troubles fulfilling a government contract to deliver ice to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The Pentagon has refused to allow Weightman to testify. Waxman's staff has confirmed the congressman planned to issue his first subpoena as a committee chairman this session to legally compel Weightman's testimony if the Pentagon did not relent.

According to a letter from Waxman to Weightman posted today on the committee's Web site, the chairman believes the Walter Reed contract may have pushed dozens of health care workers to leave jobs at the troubled medical center, which he says in turn threatened the quality of care for hundreds of military personnel receiving treatment there.

Weightman had been slated to testify before Congress on Monday. The Army has tried to withdraw him from the hearing. Waxman's office confirmed the congressman plans to force the officer to appear by issuing a subpoena for his testimony.

There is already an UPDATE to this:

Update: Since this report was published, the Pentagon has reversed its position and is allowing Weightman to testify before Waxman's panel on Monday. An earlier version of this post stated Waxman had issued a subpoena to compel Weightman's testimony; in fact, Waxman had threatened to do so, but the Pentagon changed its stance before such a subpoena was issued.

Did you know that Walter Reed is one of the "bases" scheduled to close in to years?

Here's the LINK

Another "Firing" (resignation) and Subpoenas re Walter Reed

Another firing! This time Army Secretary Francis J Harvey. They still haven't got to Kiley! And the President chimed in finally. And Congressman Henry Waxman,Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Comittee orders Subpoenas.

From the AP:

Army secretary resigns in scandal's wake
By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer
Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey abruptly stepped down Friday as the Bush administration struggled to cope with the fallout from a scandal over substandard conditions for war-wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Harvey's departure, announced on short notice by a visibly agitated Defense Secretary Robert Gates, was the most dramatic move in an escalating removal of officials with responsibilities over one of the military's highest-profile and busiest medical facilities.

Hours earlier, President Bush ordered a comprehensive review of conditions at the nation's network of military and veteran hospitals, which has been overwhelmed by injured troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gates said Harvey had resigned, but senior defense officials speaking on condition of anonymity said Gates had privately demanded that Harvey leave. Gates was displeased that the officer Harvey had chosen as interim commander of Walter Reed — Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, the current Army surgeon general and a former commander of Walter Reed — has been accused by critics of long knowing about the problems there and not improving outpatient care.

"I am disappointed that some in the Army have not adequately appreciated the seriousness of the situation pertaining to outpatient care at Walter Reed," Gates said in the Pentagon briefing room. He took no questions from reporters.

Harvey was at Fort Benning, Ga., on Friday morning when he cut short his visit to return to Washington to meet with Gates.

On Thursday, Harvey fired the medical center's previous commander, Maj. Gen. George Weightman, for failures linked to the outpatient treatment controversy. Many had speculated that Weightman would be relieved of command, but Harvey's departure was a surprise. His last day in the job will be March 9.

And from Rep. Waxman's Committee web site:

Friday, March 02, 2007
Former Head of Walter Reed Hospital to Testify Before National Security Subcommittee

Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman John Tierney sent a letter to Major General George W. Weightman, former Commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, regarding the privatization of support services at Walter Reed and its impact on the conditions at Walter Reed. In addition, Chairman Waxman signed a subpoena to compel Major General Weightman's testimony at the Subcommittee’s March 5 hearing, but the subpoena was not served when new Acting Secretary of the Army Peter Geren authorized General Weightman to testify before the Committee without compulsory process.

Witness list:

Specialist Jeremy Duncan
Annette McLeod, Wife of Cpl. Wendell “Dell” McLeod
Staff Sgt. John Daniel Shannon
Lieutenant General Kevin C. Kiley, M.D., U.S. Army Surgeon General
Major General George W. Weightman, Commander (former), Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Ms. Cynthia A. Bascetta, Director, Health Care, U.S. Government Accountability Office
General Richard A. Cody, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army

I'm sure there's more to come. It's Kiley's turn.