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Hoyer: Dems Sent ‘Back to Drawing Board’ on Health Care; Surtax on Wealthy is Good Politics
July 17, 2009 2:23 PM
ABC News’ Rick Klein reports:
Another case of sticker shock has slowed congressional progress on health care reform, with the Congressional Budget Office reporting yesterday that the Democratic proposals now being considered won’t net the federal government any savings.
That’s forcing Democrats “back to the drawing board,” even as legislation crawls its way through committees in the House and Senate, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said today on ABCNews.com’s “Top Line.”
“I’d say it’s something we need to address,” Hoyer, D-Md., told us. “Clearly, bringing costs down is one of the major objectives of this effort, and we’ve got to do that. And if the scoring and the projections don’t indicate that we’re doing that, we need to go back to the drawing board and make sure we do that.”
“I wouldn’t call it a setback, but it is certainly something that we have to pay attention to,” Hoyer said.
At the same time, Hoyer dismissed assertions from some conservative Democrats that health care reform can’t pass in anything like its current form it’s now being discussed.
And he took issue with the suggestion that paying for reform by imposing a new surtax on couples making more than $350,000 a year represents a politically difficult vote.
“I’m not sure I agree with you it’s a really tough vote,” Hoyer said. “If you poll it, taxing the wealthiest in America -- about 1 percent who have done very, very, very well over the last 15 years, and we’ve seen a growing disparity between the wealthiest Americans and middle-income, working Americans -- asking them to pay some of the price for getting everyone into the system, reforming the system and bringing costs down in the system, frankly I’m not sure it’s a very politically risky vote.”
“The public pretty much thinks the richer people in America ought to pay their fair share; they don’t think they’re paying their fair share,” Hoyer said. ‘But that aside, the ‘pay-fors’ [ideas about how to pay for reform] are still up in the air. That is one proposal I think is a credible one, there are others who want to get the savings and any revenues from within the system. I also think that’s a reasonable proposition. So there’s a lot of discussion that will go on between now and October, when I hope we finally pass this bill and send it to the president before those decisions are made.”
He said it will be difficult to meet the president’s goal of passing a bill in the House and Senate before the August recess -- but insisted that that’s still the goal.
“That may not be -- may not happen. We’re still working towards that goal and we have some degree of confidence that we’ll get there. But if we don’t get there, what President Obama is saying he wants a bill on his desk by October,” Hoyer said.
Watch our interview with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer HERE.
Also today, we chatted with Eva Rodriguez, a member of The Washington Post’s editorial board, about the politics of health care, and the political up-shot of the Sonia Sotomayor confirmation hearings.
Her take: “It’s a tremendous coup for the Democrats, politically and symbolically.”
Click HERE to see the full interview with Eva Rodriguez.
And we closed the show with a classic example of life imitating art. Check out this clip and see if you can spot the actor who actually ended up questioning a Supreme Court nominee this week.
(And pine along with us for the days when both “Saturday Night Live” and the Judiciary Committee were consistently funny. Anyone else miss Joe Biden’s presence at this week’s hearings?)
July 17, 2009 in Congress, Democratic party, Health Care, Obama Agenda, President Obama, Top Line | Permalink | Share | User Comments (113)
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Ask Obama if he and his african american family will be on the same plan he wants to place the working lower class citizens and that will end the health care debate untill he can be become a crtic again like he did while running for election
Posted by: spanner | Jul 17, 2009 2:33:59 PM
@spanner, now, now.. you know that the President and his family, and Congress and their Families are much better Americans then the rest of us. They deserve better then we do.
Posted by: ajax | Jul 17, 2009 2:40:08 PM
Hoyer, as is anyone who agrees with him, is a stupid, smooth-brained, fool. I'm not well-off. I'm squarely in the middle-income group. And I am certain the "wealthy" ARE paying their fare share. In fact, they are paying way MORE than their fair share. I'm sick of you liberals telling us that you somehow have a right to greater percentages of the income of people who work harder and are more successful. You DON'T have a right to it. PERIOD. Do you hear me? How DARE you penalize the successful. I wish you'd all leave America and go to Europe.
Posted by: Robert Wade | Jul 17, 2009 2:52:03 PM
"Ask Obama if he and his african american family will be on the same plan he wants to place the working lower class citizens"
I'm a middle class white man with a family of 4,I just started a new job but was six months without family health care. I resent your tone toward our president whom is a high achiever.
I won't mind paying some tax on my new benefits to avoid the gap in coverage again.
We, all Americans, need help with solutions not attacks veiled with slurs.
Posted by: whiteboy | Jul 17, 2009 3:03:01 PM
Final reform will look nothing like the bills swirling around Congress right now. There will be tax hikes, but they will be much smaller than those currently proposed. And nothing will top a trillion bucks...
Posted by: matt | Jul 17, 2009 3:13:07 PM
whiteboy, you can avoid any gaps in coverage: get your own individual policy and pay for it yourself like thousands of us do! The problem is, most people don't want to give up their new plasma tvs or eating out all of the time for something as boring as health coverage. They'd rather have other people pay for it.
Posted by: Texas Libertarian | Jul 17, 2009 3:29:06 PM
You tell'um. dat's right, dat's right
Posted by: mac | Jul 17, 2009 3:29:37 PM
The wheels are starting to come off. Did the dems and Obama really think the American public was that stupid to support this plan. This Country has a real lack of leadership and it is starting to show.
Posted by: billy bob | Jul 17, 2009 3:32:14 PM
Whitegirl,
How about Bush's Medicare Part D? It cost lower than the projections.
Posted by: blkby | Jul 17, 2009 3:32:57 PM
The head of the CBO is a democrat. I bet harry and nancy are fuming.
Posted by: billy bob | Jul 17, 2009 3:35:56 PM
whitegirl said "You mean like Obama's justice pick Sotomoyer and her comment. " I can make a better decision than a white man" "
Is that what she said? You wouldn't lie to us now? Maybe twist what she said to make it look worse than it was?
The answer to all three questions is YES.
While she was specifically discussing the importance of judicial diversity in determining race and sex discrimination cases before a crowd of latinos she said "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
Put the quote into context and then quote it accurately and it becomes much clearing to most what she really was trying to say. It is similar to what Former Bush Justice Department lawyer John Yoo has similarly stressed that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas "is a black man with a much greater range of personal experience than most of the upper-class liberals who take potshots at him" and argued that Thomas' work on the court has been influenced by his understanding of the less fortunate acquired through personal experience.
Posted by: SamTyler1973 | Jul 17, 2009 3:37:54 PM
Matt, your link to an increase in housing starts has nothing to do with the economy. Delevopers have been sitting on lots for too long and have to build houses to make the numbers work for the cost of the land. The longer theey wait the less liklet that they can sell a hgouse for a reasonable price. i know this because i am a builder. What do you do???????????
Posted by: billy bob | Jul 17, 2009 3:40:37 PM
Obama was lying about the stimulis funds almost 6 months ago but Obama is not lying now.
Posted by: SamTyler1973 | Jul 17, 2009 3:41:40 PM
“You’ll see the effects begin almost immediately;” now Obama is claiming the stimulus was always going to be a very slow starter in terms of its effects on the econom
Posted by: SamTyler1973 | Jul 17, 2009 3:42:52 PM
whitegirl said "You mean like Obama's justice pick Sotomoyer and her comment. " I can make a better decision than a white man" "
Is that what she said? You wouldn't lie to us now? Maybe twist what she said to make it look worse than it was?
The answer to all three questions is YES.
While she was specifically discussing the importance of judicial diversity in determining race and sex discrimination cases before a crowd of latinos she said "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
Okay, so lets change JUST afew things... Ready?
"I would hope that a wise WHITE MAN with the richness of HIS experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a LATINA WOMAN who hasn't lived that life."
Okay Sam defend that!
Posted by: stickman | Jul 17, 2009 3:43:19 PM
Obama stated that most of the money “will go out the door immediately.” But now he has changed his tune, saying, “We also knew that it would take some time for the money to get out the door.”
Was Obama lying then or now
Posted by: SamTyler1973 | Jul 17, 2009 3:43:38 PM
O's poll numbers are falling, just like his policies. Even his own party is now turning against him. I am so glad he will only have one term in office and can go back to Chicago where he belongs!
Posted by: dk | Jul 17, 2009 3:43:44 PM
I'm beginning to think the democrats are cowards. This is a no brain er. More than 70% support public health care and they can't find the courage to vote on it. Pass or fail the voters will be taking their wrath. Either for action or no action. Vote straight up or down! Let the voters know who and how these representatives voted. Then they will be making their vote at the ballot box. The health care system is looting this Great Nation and the people know it.
Posted by: rightbehind | Jul 17, 2009 3:44:13 PM
Obama stated that most of the money “will go out the door immediately.” But now he has changed his tune, saying, “We also knew that it would take some time for the money to get out the door.”
Was Obama lying then or now
Posted by: SamTyler1973 | Jul 17, 2009 3:43:38 PM
Sam cannot defend that.
Posted by: billy bob | Jul 17, 2009 3:45:59 PM
Ummm... if more people are covered,it still makes more sense than our current wasted system. selfish neocons are celebrating?
Posted by: grampasimpson | Jul 17, 2009 3:46:49 PM
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