Next up in healthcare reform: Resolving the differences

So what's next in the fight for healthcare reform? The House and Senate need to resolve the differences between their two bills before a final version can be sent to President Obama for consideration. From the L. A. Times:

Reporting from Washington - As the Senate lumbers toward passage of its healthcare bill, Democrats are looking ahead to the potentially difficult process of reconciling its substantial differences with the more-liberal House version -- the last major obstacle before President Obama can sign landmark legislation into law.

The final Senate vote on the healthcare bill was set for 8 a.m. Thursday, Christmas Eve, as Republicans held the floor today to criticize the measure and delay its enactment. Democrats are hopeful that the momentum generated by the long-awaited Senate vote -- and the high political stakes involved in finishing the job -- will grease the wheels of negotiations with the House.

"Each side knows we cannot fail," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). "Each side knows they have to give."

But after lawmakers enjoy what is left of the holiday season in their home states, they will return to wide and deeply held differences between the House and Senate bills on federal funding for abortion and the liberals' dream of establishing a "public option" -- a government plan that would compete with private insurers -- to guarantee access to affordable insurance.

The full article is available on the L. A. Times website. Bottom line: Much work remains to be done, much dealmaking is likely to occur, but little of it is likely to happen this week. Stay tuned to the V4CF Action Blog... we'll keep you posted on developments.

From the AP Wire: 'Health care bill clears key Senate test'

As reported this evening, moments after the U.S. Senate's late-night vote:

WASHINGTON – Landmark health care legislation backed by President Barack Obama passed its sternest Senate test in the pre-dawn hours early Monday, overcoming Republican delaying tactics on a 60-40 vote that all but assures its passage by Christmas.

"Let's make history," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, shortly before the bill's supporters demonstrated their command of the Senate floor in an extraordinary holiday season showdown. The bill would extend coverage to more than 30 million Americans who now lack it, while banning insurance company practices such as denial of benefits on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

The atmosphere was intensely partisan, but the outcome pre-ordained as senators cast their votes from their desks, a practice reserved for issues of particular importance. Administration officials who have worked intensely on the issue watched from the visitor's gallery despite the hour.

So, too, Vicki Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who championed health care across a Senate career that spanned more than 40 years.

The full story is available at Yahoo! News.

V4CF to co-sponsor day-long Candidate Training seminar Saturday, Jan. 9

Volunteers For Change-Fresno, along with allies the Fresno County Democratic Central Committee, the CLC and the College Democrats, is co-sponsoring a day-long Candidate Training seminar, designed for candidates, potential candidates and campaign staff, scheduled 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, at the CWA Hall, 4422 E. Ashlan Avenue, in Fresno. Want to get elected to public office? V4CF invites you to attend.

The Candidate Training seminar will focus on how to be an optimal candidate, and places participants in touch with experienced people who have 'been there and done that.' The training will address what it takes to be an effective candidate for public office, how to enlarge your circle of advisers, and how to find valuable resources that can help you to succeed. The cost to attend is $15 per person, with lunch provided.

Topics to be addressed at the training will include:

* Building your team
* Messaging
* Fundraising
* Presentation
* Public speaking
* Meeting voters
* Understanding labor
* Attitude and movitation
* Media, and more.

Presenters will include:

* Michael Rubio
* Henry T. Perea
* T.J. Cox
* Patsy Montgomery
* Randy Ghan
* Susan Good
* Debilyn Molineaux
* Chuck Riojas
* Mai Thao
* Warren Meyers
* Michael D. Evans

Interested? To register or for more information, contact Michael D. Evans via e-mail at evansm@usa.net. We hope to see you there!

Senate and House healthcare reform bills compared -- again

Here's the latest comparison of the Senate's and the House's versions of healthcare reform legislation. After a year of ceaseless work, some from supporters and some not, the Senate's version may come for a vote as soon as tonight, with passage expected.

Associated Press recap of both bills.

Meanwhile, supporters of healthcare reform remain divided about the Senate version. Some (like Howard Dean) say 'kill it and start over,' while others (like the White House) say 'don't miss this opportunity to move things in a better direction.'

Should the Senate approve their bill, a conference committee between the House and Senate will remain necessary, to work out the many differences in the bills before they can go to President Obama's desk for signature or veto.

Stay tuned... it's not over yet.

Senate's efforts to compromise appear to be gutting healthcare reform vision

Well, it would appear at this hour that the U.S. Senate is managing to turn the hard-fought efforts of people across the country on healthcare reform into the proverbial steaming pile of ineffective overcompromise.

Between last week's announced Medicare buy-in compromise and the introduction of caps on benefits -- something that goes against the very core of the healthcare reform vision presented months ago by President Obama -- one wonders if this effort is indeed about to succumb to Death by the Thousand Cuts.

Here's a sampling of what's out there this morning. Click the links within to read the stories.

• Howard Dean says he's no longer supportive of the Senate's version, recommends they 'start over.' (ABC News)
  

• Senator Roland Burris says he won't vote for a bill that fails to include a public option. (New York Times)
  
  
• And even if the Senate does pass something resembling healthcare reform, whatever they pass is likely to set off a fight between the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. (New York Times)
  

Stay tuned. While I'd normally say something like 'this could get messy,' it's clear the mess is already here. Let's see if they can clean it up.

UPDATE: From our member Paul Pierce comes this, a petition from CREDO Action that provides a quick way to tell the Senate to keep moving toward true healthcare reform:
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/prog_sens_po/?rc=fb_share1

President Obama, Howard Dean both supportive of the Senate healthcare compromise

Hopefully all parties will release more details of the apparent Senate compromise of healthcare reform soon. In the meantime, the following story comes from MSNBC:

After agreeing tentatively to jettison a key stated priority — a full-blown government-run insurance option — Senate Democrats woke up Wednesday to some positive signs for the fragile coalition backing President Barack Obama's healthcare bill.

A much-courted moderate — Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman — signaled he might be able to live with a compromise to offer private insurance plans under the auspices of the federal employee health program while also allowing middle-aged people to buy into Medicare. Liberal Democrats also spoke out in favor of the idea.

Meanwhile, former presidential candidate and one-time Vermont Gov. Howard Dean said the Medicare option for people age 55 to 64 was "a positive step forward." Dean, a physician, has been one of the most vocal supporters of the idea that the government should get into the health insurance market. But as it became increasingly clear in recent weeks that a new government insurance plan did not command the necessary votes in the Senate, Dean contacted Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., to offer the Medicare expansion as a way forward.

"Using Medicare makes more sense than reinventing more bureaucracy," Dean said Wednesday on CBS' "The Early Show."

The full story is available at MSNBC.com.

What??!?

The LA Times is reporting at this hour that "Democratic senators say they have a tentative deal to drop a government-run insurance option from healthcare legislation." The Times is including no details, but if the story is true.... hmmmmm. Here's the story as it appears on the LA Times website. More to follow when V4CF hears it.

UPDATE: Sen. Harry Reid says one thing, Sen. Russ Feingold says another. Here's the latest, from CNN.com.