Capitol Hill Personalities Play A Key Role In How Health Bills Are Taking Shape

Last Finance Hurdle: How To Pay For Overhaul

A final hurdle, how to pay for the health overhaul bill, remains, Bloomberg reports. The remaining items for the Senate Finance Committee are whether "to increase taxes on the most-expensive insurance plans, impose new fees on health-related industries, and limit the tax benefits of flexible savings accounts" (Donmoyer and Rowley, 10/1).

The New York Time on Baucus continuing to consider affordability changes: "In a push to lock down votes, Senator Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is pulling together a last-minute package of changes to his health care legislation aimed at addressing the chief concern among his fellow Democrats: that health insurance be made as affordable as possible for moderate-income Americans." The changes include Cantwell's plan, a proposal by Snowe to phase in the penalty for not obtaining coverage and allowing exemptions for the penalty if it would be more than 7 percent of income instead of the bill's mark of 10 percent (Herszenhorn, 9/30).

In the meantime, Baucus and other Democrats are seeking "to shield even more retirees and union workers from a tax on the most expensive health-care plans," Bloomberg reports separately. Baucus's original proposal included a 35 percent tax on plans worth more than $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for families. He's suggested increasing both the percentage tax and the threshold in hopes of protecting some lower-income workers and retirees. Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and John Kerry, D-Mass., has said his plans would hurt too many "ordinary people" and "high-risk" workers, such as coal miners (Gaouette and Donmoyer, 9/30).

Capitol Hill Personalities Play A Key Role In How Health Bills Are Taking Shape

A number of news organizations are detailing the conflicts and positions of certain lawmakers in the ongoing health overhaul effort.

Senators' egos are part of the mix, Roll Call reports: "Newly minted Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is poised to assert himself in the health care debate and work aggressively to protect liberal reform goals, setting up a possible Senate showdown with Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and leading moderate Democrats. Harkin and Baucus have a history of collaborating on legislation, particularly on the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, where they both sit. But the duo has also clashed since Baucus often pushes a centrist agenda while Harkin advocates liberal priorities"(Drucker, 10/1).

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Sen. John Kerry, a Finance Committee member, is asserting his power now that he's the senior senator from Massachusetts after the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy, who is "involved in just about every policy initiative," The Washington Post reports. Kerry "is spending grueling hours in the Finance Committee to mark up a health-care reform bill," according to the Post, which has a video interview with him. (10/1).

Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are working separately, Roll Call reports in a second story: "Both Reid and Pelosi appear to be banking on President Barack Obama to bring them back together as they hunker down to secure even bare majorities in their respective chambers for health care reform. … Though Reid and Pelosi talk frequently during the week and meet at least once a week, the disconnect between them has been evident recently in the public comments each has made about what they would accept from the other chamber, as well as in their maneuvering behind the scenes" (Pierce and Newmyer, 10/1).

NBC News profiled doctor and Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Wisc., who is pushing the public option after practicing medicine for 33 years. "He stressed three 'critical, essential elements' that he believes need to be in the legislation passed by Congress. One, he suggests there needs to be 'no discrimination against anyone due to a pre-existing condition.' Two, that there is 'complete transparency' by insurance companies, particularly regarding prices. And, three, that a 'standard health-benefit plan' is established for all citizens" (Price, 9/30).