Democrats Will Stop Work on Health Care Until Scott Brown is Sworn In
Patricia Murphy
Capitol Hill Bureau Chief
Posted:
01/20/10
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday the Senate will not take up health care reform again until Republican Senator-elect Scott Brown is sworn into office.
Speculation had swirled in recent days that Democrats in the House and Senate may try to rush a final health care bill to the president's desk before Brown could take his seat and vote against it. Brown won a special election in Massachusetts Tuesday to fill the seat held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy for more than four decades.
"We're not going to rush into anything," Reid said. "We're going to wait until the new senator arrives to do more on health care."
But even when Brown is sworn in, Reid said that the focus on Capitol Hill will be on jobs and the economy, not necessarily on health care.
When a reporter asked Reid about his plans to pass health care, Reid said, "People all around this country are focused on their jobs, keeping their jobs, finding a job. People have lost their house. People are concerned about the upside-down value of their homes...health care is a problem, but it is certainly more than that."
When pressed specifically if he is committed to passing a health care bill, Reid said, "I am confident that health care is an issue in this country and we are going to do everything we can to alleviate the pain and suffering of people in this country who don't have health care and leave people what they have."
Finally, Reid said he would not try to pass the Senate's bill through the House, a move that had been mentioned as the fastest possible way to pass health care before Democrats lose their 60-seat majority. "I'm not going to be telling the House of Representatives what they should do."
Reid's comments came after President Obama said in an interview Wednesday morning that the Senate should not "jam through" a health bill before Brown takes his seat, likely within the next two weeks.
"Here's one thing I know and I just want to make sure that this is off the table: The Senate certainly shouldn't try to jam anything through until Scott Brown is seated," Obama told ABC's George Stephanopolous. "The people of Massachusetts spoke. He's got to be part of that process."
Speculation had swirled in recent days that Democrats in the House and Senate may try to rush a final health care bill to the president's desk before Brown could take his seat and vote against it. Brown won a special election in Massachusetts Tuesday to fill the seat held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy for more than four decades.
"We're not going to rush into anything," Reid said. "We're going to wait until the new senator arrives to do more on health care."
But even when Brown is sworn in, Reid said that the focus on Capitol Hill will be on jobs and the economy, not necessarily on health care.
When a reporter asked Reid about his plans to pass health care, Reid said, "People all around this country are focused on their jobs, keeping their jobs, finding a job. People have lost their house. People are concerned about the upside-down value of their homes...health care is a problem, but it is certainly more than that."
When pressed specifically if he is committed to passing a health care bill, Reid said, "I am confident that health care is an issue in this country and we are going to do everything we can to alleviate the pain and suffering of people in this country who don't have health care and leave people what they have."
Finally, Reid said he would not try to pass the Senate's bill through the House, a move that had been mentioned as the fastest possible way to pass health care before Democrats lose their 60-seat majority. "I'm not going to be telling the House of Representatives what they should do."
Reid's comments came after President Obama said in an interview Wednesday morning that the Senate should not "jam through" a health bill before Brown takes his seat, likely within the next two weeks.
"Here's one thing I know and I just want to make sure that this is off the table: The Senate certainly shouldn't try to jam anything through until Scott Brown is seated," Obama told ABC's George Stephanopolous. "The people of Massachusetts spoke. He's got to be part of that process."