Washington in 60 Seconds: Harry Reid on His Health Bill -- 'If You're Not Impressed, You Should Be'
Patricia Murphy
Capitol Hill Bureau Chief
Posted:
11/18/09
Good morning, Capitolists! With Harry Reid's note of immodesty still wafting in the Capitol air (read all about it below) we pause to mark today as the day that Sen. Robert Byrd, 91, becomes the longest-serving member of Congress in American history. During his 57-plus years in Congress, the senator has cast more than 18,000 votes, worked with 12 presidents, voted on everything from creating Medicare (he was for it) to invading Iraq (he was against it) and made the long journey from Klan wizard to endorsing Barack Obama for president.
Come back to the Capitolist later for a recap of the Senate tribute to Byrd this morning. In the meantime, get up to speed on what's making news in Washington today.
* Obama Says Gitmo Won't Close on Time. Even thousands of miles away from Washington, President Obama can't ignore pressing issues at home. During a series of interviews with American media, Obama acknowledged to the BBC reports that he'll miss his January deadline to close the American prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The president said he "knew this was going to be hard."
* Be Impressed. Be Very Impressed. Democratic senators have been called to a 5 o'clock meeting this afternoon with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, where he is expected to unveil his health care bill and its price tag from the Congressional Budget Office. Reid may have all the senators in the room this afternoon, but he does not yet have them all on board to vote for reform. Moderates have balked at everything from the opt-out for states to abortion language, while liberals like Roland Burris and Bernie Sanders say it's public option or bust for them. Reid's immodest observation on his bill yesterday: "'If you're not impressed, you should be."
* Eric Holder on the Hot Seat. The attorney general appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning, where he'll be grilled on everything from his decision to hold terror trials in NYC to plans to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay to the Obama administration's efforts to quash Congressional investigations about the shootings at Fort Hood. Good luck with that, Holder.
* McCaskill's Leadership Tips on Things That Are "Really, Really Hard." Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) has some advice for her fellow Democrats in positions of leadership. Speaking in the Capitol yesterday, she said, "After you do something like health care that's really big and really, really hard, and is going to make a lot of people mad, you probably don't want the next thing you do to be something that's really big and really, really hard, and is going to make a lot of people mad." So wise.
* Hillary Clinton Knows "Mad Men." If you've got a minute, read the fascinating Vogue profile of Hillary Clinton, in which she compares her varied career to fruit salad and dishes about AMC's acclaimed show. "That's how it was!" she says. "That's why the women's liberation movement was so shocking. It was like news from outer space."
Come back to the Capitolist later for a recap of the Senate tribute to Byrd this morning. In the meantime, get up to speed on what's making news in Washington today.
* Obama Says Gitmo Won't Close on Time. Even thousands of miles away from Washington, President Obama can't ignore pressing issues at home. During a series of interviews with American media, Obama acknowledged to the BBC reports that he'll miss his January deadline to close the American prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The president said he "knew this was going to be hard."
* Be Impressed. Be Very Impressed. Democratic senators have been called to a 5 o'clock meeting this afternoon with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, where he is expected to unveil his health care bill and its price tag from the Congressional Budget Office. Reid may have all the senators in the room this afternoon, but he does not yet have them all on board to vote for reform. Moderates have balked at everything from the opt-out for states to abortion language, while liberals like Roland Burris and Bernie Sanders say it's public option or bust for them. Reid's immodest observation on his bill yesterday: "'If you're not impressed, you should be."
* Eric Holder on the Hot Seat. The attorney general appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning, where he'll be grilled on everything from his decision to hold terror trials in NYC to plans to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay to the Obama administration's efforts to quash Congressional investigations about the shootings at Fort Hood. Good luck with that, Holder.
* McCaskill's Leadership Tips on Things That Are "Really, Really Hard." Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) has some advice for her fellow Democrats in positions of leadership. Speaking in the Capitol yesterday, she said, "After you do something like health care that's really big and really, really hard, and is going to make a lot of people mad, you probably don't want the next thing you do to be something that's really big and really, really hard, and is going to make a lot of people mad." So wise.
* Hillary Clinton Knows "Mad Men." If you've got a minute, read the fascinating Vogue profile of Hillary Clinton, in which she compares her varied career to fruit salad and dishes about AMC's acclaimed show. "That's how it was!" she says. "That's why the women's liberation movement was so shocking. It was like news from outer space."