The Daily Dose
Here’s a quick wrap-up of today’s health care news.
The White House says that Sen. Mike Enzi’s (R-Wyo.) comments on health care reform might mean the now famous bipartisan “Gang of Six,” leading the charge on a bill in the Senate Finance Committee, could be down to five. Judging by this anti-”Obamacare” fundraising appeal, it doesn’t look like Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) wants to stay in the club, either. That would leave Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who the New York Times called “the Group of One,” as the last Republican negotiator in the club. Snowe has signaled she wants to scale back the scope of health care reform.
Former GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole thinks President Obama needs to hit the reset button and produce his own bill.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who had a hard time staying on message last week, doesn’t want Congress to be guilt-tripped into passing health care reform in honor of the issue’s late champion, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) Meanwhile, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) said Republicans will repeal any Democratic reforms if they win back congressional majorities next year. Of course, that’s a very big “if.”