Status of Health Care in Congress

" I for a closer look at where the bill battle stands for health -- I'm joined by Jeff miles and the president Jeff miles organization which works with companies. To provide customized health insurance plans David Drucker as a political reporter for roll call. And congressmen Republican congressman Scott Garrett of New Jersey was a member of the house financial services committee. Good morning gentlemen congressman Gary I. I have to say I month and it doesn't covenants -- for five months and I'm confused every single day is another change what's going on now the house bill."

" Wolf your computer just imagine how the American public is that there are equally important more so confused because. Every day we have here different stories coming out of the Senate -- have a house and of course when the president says one thing. During his little so somewhat state of the union type address he gave a couple weeks ago. And the bills that we have to consider in the house are actually in I think like what he's talking about. Everyone has computers. -- the end of the -- really what needs to be done is to -- Hillary Clinton said about other foreign policy. Push the reset button and go back to square one and let's start over and -- clarify what we're dealing with here."

" David is that really need to do is to push the reset button or do we need to figure out a way to explain to the American people. What the differences between the house and the Senate options. Well I think that depends who you are obviously if you're a Democrat on the hill at least liberal Democrat and part of the democratic leadership. You've liked to try and find a way to explain what you're trying to do with health care reform in a way that people are going to like it. In the problem is that every bill we've seen so far. Save for the baucus bill has been slammed and baucus bill along not slammed by the public has been slammed by and many Democrats on both sides of Capitol Hill. Republicans have made the argument that. The problem isn't that we don't need health care reform the problem is the way the Democrats have gone about it is not going to accomplish the necessary goals and is going to make a bigger mess of the health care system. Which is why I think and obviously congressman can speak for itself awhile I think they would like to reset this whole effort. It just depends on who you wore how we proceed from here."

" Jeff here's the thing I I wake up this morning and I -- myself every single detail that I've heard about next caucuses bill. Never included the public option. It was not an option on the table because blue dog Democrats we're not going to support it nor can they get any Republicans to cross the aisle. Now we hear that an amendment may wait and work its way and and become a public option as a part of -- they know what's going and."

" Well Alexis you know I don't have to be as helpful as the congressman guys I can tell you this priests simply straightforwardly. The baucus bill is the single worst piece of health care legislation that has ever been introduced in the congress. By far it is the worst bill. It has built in rationing. It has a built in middle class tax increase that is very large. It has a built in penalty for the people who -- the biggest supporters of the president. The young men who are really going to pay. Young working people who are really going to pay a lot in taxes. And paying premiums. This is the worst bill that has yet to be produced I do think it's time to push the reset."

" But okay but Jeff I have played devil's advocate for you for just a moment here. He's accepted senator baucus granted not a lot of Republicans support but he sat there among the gang of six for many months addressing things like. Selling insurance across state lines yes we're not getting it tomorrow but I believe it's 2015. Talking about cutting back some of those commitments that you have to take health care. And cutting it down I believe from I don't know -- to 3600 Daryn 3800 pounds in 1900. And their head food concessions along the way have they're not."

" Well there have been some but still. Fundamentally. The legislation is as flawed as a flawed piece of legislation can be there is just no way for it to work. It's not being honest with the American people it's taken some of the exact same issues that the American people don't like. And repackage them using different words to describe them. Alexis I know you've talked a lot about the about buying across state lines here. But you know there -- a lot of problems with selling insurance across state lines it's not as simple as that sounds because there's really no regulatory. Mechanism right effect if the consumer protection problem."

" But time comes and Gary. Is there less time aside and believe me I think must confuse anybody and reading about this nonstop. Didn't senator Max Baucus says bill get the best performance card. I don't know if it was from the CBO ordeal and B I apologize right now in terms of the price on."

" may be true we've the at the bar is that you're setting it's it's it's pretty low that that's for high as the case may be want to look at as far as what the best as I mean we're talking about initially have a trillion dollars or he's coming underneath that well big deal. Because no one really believes that those numbers are going to hold that going forward. Congress is not going to be in Washington is not going to be responsible. I'm trying to rein in -- cause health care costs down and give you one it is in recent example what we just did in congress yesterday. Yesterday we had a Medicare bill can come up before the floor and we have the opportunity to say we're gonna rain in the expenses of the Medicare and what do we do we went a 180 degrees the other direction. Until we're going to spend even more we take money that's supposed to be setting aside for people future generations and using it today for purely political purposes and even Steny Hoyer. Came on the floor and said it was a bad bill I voted along with setting which is sort of a bipartisan thing you probably don't know -- say. So the bottom line here is is that you can. The public out there looking at this thing is congress going to be responsible on keeping the cost down. Well they sure weren't yesterday and I doubt they're going to be on -- trillion dollar bill there were looking up today as well."

" Don't understand what this is going I I don't see the resolution unless the Democrats are ready to go along. Yeah well don't feel bad because of the most people don't understand where it's going what the Democrats need to stop fighting amongst themselves and figure out what they want to do. You still have a block conservative moderate Democrats both in the Senate and the house that don't want to do what the Liberal Democrats in the Senate and house want to do. The democratic leadership and the president are not in line with the moderate conservative Democrats. And it's until they stop fighting about the cost of the bill about the public option versus the co -- and many other things. You're not going to see this thing get take any sort of for unanimous agreement and move forward because Democrats really have all the numbers here. And just one quick thing on a public option and the baucus bill I should point out we really don't expect that amendment passed now because with Republicans on the panel voting no and I can count for Democrats right now voting now. And the things just not going to pass it won't be part of the baucus bill look look for Democrats and the leadership the president to get that public option and when you merge the finance bill with a bill that passed out of the health committee which is Ted Kennedy's old committee. In the next few weeks and look for them to try again on the floor of the Senate. A few weeks after that when people start -- amendments on this thing to make it palatable for them. But but the truth as the president and the Democrats need to get together and decide what they want to do. Even if you see -- bill come at a house floor next week there's no guarantee that the blue dogs are going to be supported it and lets you get at least half of those blue dogs the fold and -- and go along with the democratic leadership things not going to get off."

" The floor. You know Jeff -- and you look at this issue right now and admit that the issues would be to the bills each of the bills let's be honest have problems in them. I'm not sure though. That the American people are willing to have their reset button hit and discuss this topic for another 369. Months. I think most Americans are fifteen they're angry -- heard a lot of misinformation. And did not really think and they start you'll lose patience with that."

" Sure of course. You know they've seen the reason why we need health care reform Americans are smart enough to understand. And frankly both parties agree we do need some form of health care reform. We either have to go to totally overreaching way the president and his democratic colleagues are going. Or we need to just fix the problems that exist solve the problems that exist in the individual plan markets. Force insurance companies to be more transparent stop retroactive rescissions. And all of those kinds of things. If you do those things you'll solve 90% of the health care problem. Not counting the issues of cost everything in all the bills that exists so far are going to drive the cost of care through the ceiling. And you're gonna have seniors particularly upset when they lose their Medicare Advantage plans. All right gentlemen we have to leave it there -- to guys very much contained offering of you."