In a show of confidence, President Obama hailed the Senate Finance Committee’s passage of a health care bill Tuesday as a “critical milestone” on the road to reform, but added that “we are not there yet.”
“This bill is not perfect, and we have a lot of difficult work ahead of us,” Obama said in the Rose Garden. “But I do believe the work of the Senate Finance Committee has brought us significantly closer to achieving the core objectives I laid out early in September.”
With five bills through committee in Congress, the White House is poised to take a significantly more active role in shaping the final measure.
The president, faulted by critics for stepping back and allowing lawmakers to draft multiple bills without clear, public directives from the administration, is also expected to get more involved.
“The president believes he is going to sign health care reform this year,” said press secretary Robert Gibbs.
Renewed momentum on health care reform is good news for the White House, but also presents a test for the president, who now must step up and lead in order to see his signature issue realized.
“Now is the time to dig in and work even harder to get this done,” Obama said.
The White House so far is being circumspect about what specific provisions Obama wants to keep and discard among those in the five bills. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, a veteran lawmaker, is expected to take a lead role for the administration in negotiations on Capitol Hill.
Obama has been backing away from pushing a public insurance option, overseen by the government, that was central to his earlier reform framework. Now he is committed only to ensuring “choice and competition,” Gibbs said.
But his willingness to compromise upsets the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, which has been pushing for a low-cost public option.
“The Senate Finance Committee bill falls short on making insurance affordable to America’s families, gives employers a ‘free ride,’ and does not create meaningful competition in the insurance market with a strong national public health insurance option,” said Richard Kirsch, national campaign manager for the union-backed Health Care for America Now.
Republicans remain largely opposed to Obama’s efforts, and he has lately dropped his rhetoric about forging a bipartisan bill. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, blamed the White House for creating a “hyperpartisan” atmosphere.
“Instead of bipartisanship, we see a ‘my way or the highway’ approach, which unfortunately is going to jeopardize the health care coverage people have now, [and] make matters worse, not better,” Cornyn said.
