Democrats were confident of having the required number of votes to pass the Health Care Bill in the House. However, the Republicans are making it sure that no stone is left unturned and the Bill does not get passed through the Budget reconciliation process.
House speaker was confident of having the required numbers. If the confidence is proved right then it will be a big boost for President Obama who had exclaimed that the Democrats had promised it and they are now going to deliver it. Pelosi is all set to introduce the bill which will cost the government nearly $1 trillion over the next decade. If the Bill is not passed then it will not only defame the White House but also bring a lot of disrepute for Pelosi herself. The plan of the Democrats is to get the Bill passed in the house and then send it to President Obama for his signatures. The Democrats are also planning to introduce the Conservative Senate Bill and also the Education Bill so that it gets passed alongside the Health Care Bill.
Once the Bill gets the signatures of President Obama then it becomes a law regardless of what the Senate does. Though it’s not yet sure whether the Democrats have the required numbers in the house but Pelosi is has set the legislative train in motion and she is not going to call for a voting until and unless the Democrats have the required numbers. The Republicans have started to protest against the bias shown by Pelosi.
Nancy Pelosi has not gone down to the demands of the Republicans and ha decided to get the enactment done and dusted. "It's not about abortion, it's not about immigration," Pelosi says. "The only reason, therefore, to oppose the bill is that you do not support health care reform." She adds.
However, trouble is brewing up and it’s not going to be a cakewalk. Several California Democrats are not ready to for the legislation and are now uncommitted. Jerry McNerney of Pleasanton, Dennis Cardoza of Atwater, Merced County and Jim Costa of Hanford, Kings County are some of them to name a few. Meanwhile, President Obama was trying to encourage the Democrats and asked them to show courage while addressing a rally in Ohio. He also criticized the insurance companies and the Republicans saying that it is quite incredible that how can they not be in favor of the Bill which is going to ease down pressure of cost while a disease occurs.
For some month several polls have taken place trying to know the mood of the country and it was strangely found out that the advantage was with the opponents. Meanwhile, Pelosi is of the opinion that once the law is enacted then it will be easier for the Democrats to reach out to the people and make them understand the benefits of the Bill.
"The accomplishment of moving on issues of such importance to Americans will redound to our benefit," says Judy Feder, a health care analyst at the liberal Center for American Progress. "The alternative to that, to walk away, would be an admission that the Democratic Party is not able to deliver on our own priorities."
This whole process of enacting the Legislation and the law itself is getting messier day by day. Republicans are definitely worried that Nancy Pelosi might just use her clout and get the Bill passed with any formal debate or discussion. And, this is the very reason for their raised eyebrows. However, Republican David Dreier of San Dimas, Los Angeles County, feels that if the government wants to use their supreme power they can use it and they can do nothing to prevent it.
The Congressional Budget Office in its latest report has stated that the Bill when enacted will give the country relief from its national debt of $118 billion over the next decade through savings or new revenue. This is the short term gain and will help the government to reduce its debt by manifold proportions. However, in the next 5 years which is a long term process, this Bill is going to keep the Obama administration holding in good stead. Meanwhile, the House Budget Committee took its first concrete step towards the enactment by formally introducing the Bill on Monday.
The Democrats are in line for using the "scorched-earth" strategy to prove them. Sen. Judd Gregg, says “we are willing to go to extreme lengths to steamroll the minority and the American taxpayers in pursuit of their liberal, big-government agenda." However, there are some conservative Democrats, like Bart Stupak, D-Mich, who are not in favor of the contentious issue. Many groups who are pro Republicans are making sure that their voices are not unheard and so they are forming a sort of movement. This Bill will be pro-abortion which is something that is not going down too well neither the conservative Republicans nor the Democrats who are conservatives.
