Centrist Dem Leader: Has Committee Votes To Block Health Bill
By Martin Vaughan, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., a leader of fiscally
conservative House Democrats, said Wednesday a House plan to overhaul the U.S.
health-care system is losing support and will be stuck in committee without
changes.
"Last time I checked, it takes seven Democrats to stop a bill in the Energy
and Commerce Committee," Ross told reporters after a House vote. "We had seven
against it last Friday; we have 10 today."
Three House committees are slated to begin considering the $1 trillion-plus
bill this week, but the Energy and Commerce looms as the biggest challenge.
That's because it counts among its 36 Democratic members seven members of the
Blue Dog Coalition, a fiscally conservative bloc that is opposing the House
Democrats' effort.
Ross said the bill, introduced Wednesday by House Democratic leaders, doesn't
include provisions adequate to curb rising health care costs, including what the
government spends on healthcare.
"The current bill would have to be substantially amended before we could
consider supporting it," Ross said.
The Energy and Commerce panel is scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon to kick
off its review of the legislation, but its session is expected to stretch into
late next week.
Ross said Blue Dogs have been meeting every day to craft amendments that will
be offered during that meeting, but offered no details on what those amendments
are. He said those amendments could number in the dozens.
Ross said he expects Blue Dogs will meet with the panel's chairman, Rep. Henry
Waxman, D-Calif., soon to discuss their specific proposed changes.
-By Martin Vaughan, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9244; martin.vaughan@
dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
07-15-091403ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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