Orszag: Health care reform by August, despite efforts to kill it

BY DAVID EDWARDS
Published: July 19, 2009
Updated 2 hours ago
RAWSTORY

White House Budget Director Peter Orszag says health care reform will pass by August, despite the efforts of some in Congress to kill it through delays.

Orszag told Fox News’ Chris Wallace that he expects the House and Senate to pass health care reform bills by the summer recess.

“I think the chances are high,” said Orszag.

Orszag reinforced a deadline for health care reform that President Barack Obama had been insisting on until recent days, when the president appeared to take a softer stance on health care reform deadlines.

Speaking to CNN’s John King on Sunday, Orszag said the president hadn’t given up on the deadline — but some members of Congress are trying to slow down the process in an attempt to kill health care reform.

“The typical Washington bureaucratic game of — ‘if you don’t have a better alternative, just delay in the hope that that kills something’ is partly what’s playing out here,” said Orszag.

Think Progress noted that GOP consultant Alex Castellanos suggested “if we slow this sausage-making process down, we can defeat it.”


This video is from CNN’s State of the Union, broadcast July 19, 2009.


This video is from Fox News Sunday broadcast July 19, 2009