Chairman Henry Waxman has now cancelled markup hearings of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for the health care bill two days in a row. That’s a clear signal he doesn’t have the votes in committee. In my Examiner column today, I noted that 57 House Democrats have signed either the July 9 Blue Dog letter or the July 16 Jared Polis letter opposing the House health care bills on various grounds. Since there are 256 Democrats in the House and 218 votes are needed for a majority, the Democratic leadership cannot pass a bill without either some Republican votes (very unlikely) or the votes of about one-third of the 57 Democrats who signed one or both letters.
Seven of the 35 Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee signed the Blue Dog letter opposing any health care bill that increases the federal deficit, fails to reform delivery systems and doesn’t protect small businesses and rural health care providers. If these seven Democrats vote with the committee’s 22 Republicans against Waxman’s bill, it falls short of approval by a 29-28 margin. If any one of those Democrats supports Waxman’s bill, it will presumably be voted to the floor by a 29-28 margin. One vote can make a big difference.
This has happened before. In June 1994 John Dingell, then Chairman of Energy and Commerce and now having been ousted by Waxman Chairman Emeritus, labored mightily to fashion a health care bill that could win a majority in committee. It fell short by one vote, generally considered to be that of Kansas Democrat Jim Slattery.
The seven Energy and Commerce Democrats who signed the Blue Dog letter are, in order of committee seniority, Bart Gordon (TN 6), Mike Ross (AR 4), Jim Matheson (UT 2), Charlie Melancon (LA 3), John Barrow (GA 12), Baron Hill (IN 9) and Zack Space (OH 18). All but Barrow represent districts carried by John McCain in 2008. Those with strong feelings on this issue might want to contact them.
