Congressional leaders say they welcome President Obamas idea for a health care summit but it is far from clear that more talking will deliver Republican votes for any bill that Democrats rewrite.
Senate Democrats join with the president in reaffirming our commitment to seeking a bipartisan solution to health reform" said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid D-Nev. We have promoted the pursuit of a bipartisan approach to health reform from day one."
House GOP Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio said he too was looking forward to the summit. But in a statement he launched another attack on Democrats current plans.
Obviously I am pleased that the White House finally seems interested in a real bipartisan conversation on health care" he said. The problem with the Democrats health care bills is not that the American people dont understand them; the American people do understand them and they dont like them."
Congressional Republicans have largely resisted the Democratic effort to write health care legislation. Only one Republican member voted for the House bill when it passed in November. No Republicans voted for the Senate bill during procedural motions or on final passage.
Obamas call for a summit makes it less likely that a compromise will be struck before March. Democrats have been struggling to find a way to move the Senate-passed bill through the House along with a package of yet-to-be-determined compromises that would guarantee that House Democrats would support the effort.
Negotiators have been working quietly behind the scenes but for the time being are saying little publicly about the effort while they focus on jobs legislation.
Obama on Sunday proposed holding a bipartisan bicameral health care summit on Feb. 25. In an interview on CBS during the Super Bowl pre-game show the president said he hoped to review proposals in Senate- and House-passed health plans as well as those offered by GOP critics.
I want to ask them to put their ideas on the table and then after the recess which will be a few weeks away I want to come back and have a large meeting the Republicans and Democrats to go through systematically all the best ideas that are out there and move it forward" Obama said.
Congressional leaders say they welcome President Obamas idea for a health care summit but it is far from clear that more talking will deliver Republican votes for any bill that Democrats rewrite.
Senate Democrats join with the president in reaffirming our commitment to seeking a bipartisan solution to health reform" said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid D-Nev. We have promoted the pursuit of a bipartisan approach to health reform from day one."
House GOP Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio said he too was looking forward to the summit. But in a statement he launched another attack on Democrats current plans.
Obviously I am pleased that the White House finally seems interested in a real bipartisan conversation on health care" he said. The problem with the Democrats health care bills is not that the American people dont understand them; the American people do understand them and they dont like them."
Congressional Republicans have largely resisted the Democratic effort to write health care legislation. Only one Republican member voted for the House bill when it passed in November. No Republicans voted for the Senate bill during procedural motions or on final passage.
Obamas call for a summit makes it less likely that a compromise will be struck before March. Democrats have been struggling to find a way to move the Senate-passed bill through the House along with a package of yet-to-be-determined compromises that would guarantee that House Democrats would support the effort.
Negotiators have been working quietly behind the scenes but for the time being are saying little publicly about the effort while they focus on jobs legislation.
Obama on Sunday proposed holding a bipartisan bicameral health care summit on Feb. 25. In an interview on CBS during the Super Bowl pre-game show the president said he hoped to review proposals in Senate- and House-passed health plans as well as those offered by GOP critics.
I want to ask them to put their ideas on the table and then after the recess which will be a few weeks away I want to come back and have a large meeting the Republicans and Democrats to go through systematically all the best ideas that are out there and move it forward" Obama said.
