Sebelius Says Obama Views Bipartisan Health Care Talks As 'Closing The Loop'

Sebelius Says Obama Views Bipartisan Health Care Talks As 'Closing The Loop'

A top member of President Obama's health care team said today that his summit with Republicans and Democrats will help move the health care reform measure forward.

"I think he sees this as a step to actually accelerating the process forward. He wants to move forward. He wants a bill at his desk and he sees this as kind of closing the loop and let's go," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told Huffington Post after a speech today at an event sponsored by health care magazine Health Affairs.

She also said Obama wants to tell Republicans, "Rather than just sitting on the sidelines and saying 'We don't like this, we don't like that,' come forward and show us your plan."

In her speech she said the team must get the GOP to "re-engage" in the process.

"I think it is not acceptable that half of the legislative body pushed away from the table when this conversation began months ago and basically said, 'We don't want to participate in this process.' If you remember, for a long time, the discussion was, 'Well, we don't want to participate in anything that has a public option in it,'" Sebelius said, according to Huffington Post.

"Well, as far as I have determined, the public option is no longer part of the plan and yet no one has come back to the table and said, 'We will now talk about how to move forward with a private market strategy,'" she said.

More from the report:

... Obama is willing to "add various elements" to health care legislation suggested by Republican lawmakers during an upcoming bipartisan meeting on the topic. But he won't change the entire plan and he is "absolutely not" hitting the reset button on the legislative process, the former Kansas governor insisted.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/sebelius-says-obama-views-bipartisan-health-care-talks-as-closing-the-loop.php?ref=fpa

On your mark .... get set ..... WRITE!

all republicans oppose everything. It is a waste of time to involve the repigs. Since Reid and Pelosi are afraid to move with reconciliation, it's over.

Unfortunately for you, you're most likely wrong.

would be done by now. Reid rolls over and Pelosi keeps promising progress. Frustration is the best way to describe my situation now.

a lot of people wrong time and again. This could be one of those times.

I keep coming back to what Melissa Hart-Bracewell said about him. Very inspiring-you should read it as it goes a long way towards explaining motives.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x162791

put any ideas out except "no", "let's stop him", "hope he fails", "we will break him", "muslim", "birth certificate", "socialist". His desire to accept the minority view when these are their views is frustrating. Meanwhile, they continue to stall and pick up media support with the teabagger movement.

backing whoever made/makes the most noise. They're into it for the splash, not the substance.