Grijalva To White House: It's On You Now

By Brian Beutler | January 7, 2010, 3:06PM
Talking Points Memo DC

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), a leading House progressive says if the White House can throw its weight behind a controversial tax in the Senate health care bill, it can stand up for some of the House's priorities, too.

In an interview with TPMDC moments after a conference call with over 175 members of the House Democratic caucus, Grijalva said he was encouraged by what he heard from members--strong support for the House bill--but the President needs to get involved if their concerns will be met.

"The president is having his listening sessions, right?" Grijalva asked rhetorically. "After all we've been through at some point the administration can not be neutral players in this process."
Noting that the President stands foursquare behind the Senate's proposal to tax so-called "Cadillac" insurance policies to raise money, Grijalva put it to him to weigh in on some of the House's priorities. "How do you weigh in on a national exchange? How do you weigh in on a public option? How do you weigh in on the anti-trust exemption?"

The public option is a non-starter at this point, and House leaders, progressives, and key chairmen are pushing the White House to support other priorities, including organizing insurance exchanges at a national level, moving the implementation date for major reforms forward by one year, and, at least, diminishing the impact of the Cadillac tax.

"Watching the fight is not enough," Grijalva said. "The pressure shifts to the White House now."

Grijalva says he's putting the finishing touches on a document contrasting the House, Senate, and Congressional Progressive Caucus positions on health care reform. Speaker Pelosi has been given the document, and it will soon be delivered to Senate Majority Leader harry Reid and the White House. We'll shoot it your way when we get it.

Related TPMDC story.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Latest Health Care Flashpoint Strains Relationships Among Democrats
By Brian Beutler | January 8, 2010, 1:17PM

Last year's health care debate was dominated by a bruising--and ultimately losing--fight over the public option. But simmering on the back burner for weeks while the public option ran its course has been a battle among Democrats over how to pay for health care reform. And now, with the public option swept into the dustbin, the fight over taxes has come to the fore, and is testing relationships all the way up the Democratic ladder to party leadership and the White House.

At issue is whether expanding insurance coverage to over 30 million Americans should be paid for by wealthy Americans (as the House would like), or, as the Senate calls for, by people who have expensive health care plans--many of whom are middle class. The vast majority of House Democrats--and the public at large--oppose the Senate proposal. But the idea has one powerful ally: President Obama.

"The polling just hasn't moved an inch," Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) told me. Recent data indicates that the public opposes the Senate's so-called "Cadillac tax" plan by a two-to-one margin. "Frankly, it's the same polling that was there when Obama went after McCain on this."

According to Courtney many in the House believe that, after sacrificing the public option, Democrats should draw a line in the sand over the excise tax--including one Democratic leader.

Click here to read Rep. Courtney's letter

Click here to read a list of signatories. Gabrielle Giffords did NOT sign the letter.

Call Rep. Gabrielle Gifford's Tucson office 881-3588 to ask her to not to change her vote in support of the House measure that does NOT raise taxes on middle class Americans.

Click here to read a list of signatories.

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