The US health care bill has garnered opposition from 200 members. This way, the confidence that pro-bill Democrats have been expressing with regard to its passage seem to be diminishing. So what future awaits the reform bill?
With opposition from members reaching the 200 figure mark, which includes 22 Democrats, the bill seems to be still far from passage. However, House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson of Connecticut feels that "the votes are there" to facilitate passage of the bill
McIntyre, reporting his opposition to the bill, said, "Health care reform is needed, but the bill before us is too expensive, does not adequately address rising medical costs and skyrocketing insurance premiums, and tries to do too much too soon. We simply cannot afford to create a new federal bureaucracy that costs nearly $1 trillion when our national debt is $12 trillion and there is no plan in place to address it. I will not vote for it."
Adding to the difficulties in the passage of the bill are the anti-bill Democrats, who have indicated that they will vote against the bill. This has given strength to the Republicans, who are fully against the bill and have committed to do anything to stop the bill from being approved in the House.
One lawmaker, U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith of Alabama, became a Republican in December. An additional member, Rep. Eric Massa of New York, resigned his seat last week. Two top Republican vote counters, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, in a memo, said: "We believe House passage of the Senate's health care bill will ultimately be decided by the 37 remaining House Democrats who voted no to a government takeover last November, and the ... 21 House Democrats who originally voted yes, but may now be on the fence."
While there is one section that opposes the bill in its present form and look for significant changes in the same, there are some others who are opposing the bill completely. There are those leaders who are vying for addressing the abortion issue at any cost. In this regard, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said: "If they brought the bill down, they're not stopping any abortions. They are stopping millions of people from getting health insurance."
Any modification in the Senate bill requires use reconciliation, which ensures that the bill can be passed in the Senate with a simple majority vote of 51, instead of 60 votes. However, as the Health Care reform Bill has not become a law, the reconciliation bill cannot be brought about.
