Reid Largely Flying Solo In Effort To Shape Final Bill Now

Anna Edney and Dan Friedman
National Journal Group
Oct 29, 2009

Senate Majority Leader Reid is angling for a favorable CBO score on his health proposals to win support from deficit hawks, even as he keeps those senators, and everyone else, largely in the dark.

The secrecy might make sense as a strategy because it prevents an unfavorable score from getting out, but it does not make it easy to nail down senators on their votes on a motion to proceed to the bill.

"Before he can really make it public, he has to see what CBO says because if CBO says that it's going to be above a certain amount or not be a balanced budget, increase the deficit, he's going to have to resubmit something," Senate Democratic Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer of New York said. "So that's why letting it all out now doesn't make much sense until he gets a CBO score."

Reid is running the show from here on out, keeping the circle of those in the know extremely tight.

"I know several people have said, 'Could we see the bill?' You know, 'Could you share that bill so the American people can see what we're talking about here?'" Minority Whip Kyl said. "So far, no luck. No bill."

Following a handful of meetings between Reid, Finance Chairman Max Baucus and Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., to negotiate a final bill, an aide to Reid says there are no meetings scheduled. Staffers said Baucus, Dodd, and committee staffers continue to consult with Reid.

While the high-level meetings are over, none of the hot-button issues are resolved, aside from the public option Reid went ahead with on his own. That includes how best to make coverage affordable and whether the bill will include an employer mandate, a tax on high-cost insurance plans or a long-term insurance program for the disabled known as the CLASS Act.

The administration was in on those Reid-Baucus-Dodd meetings as well, but when asked if consultation would continue, the aide replied "Reid talks to [White House Chief of Staff Emanuel] all the time." There was no mention of White House healthcare czar Nancy Ann DeParle or OMB Director Orszag.

Reid sent multiple draft proposals to CBO Monday and plans to "cherry-pick the best scores/language and put that in the final bill," the aide said.

Moderate Democrats, concerned with the overhaul's impact on the deficit and a public option, were mostly noncommittal Tuesday about the votes that will allow the Senate to begin debate on the overhaul bill. Reid needs 60 votes, every Democrat, to proceed to debate.

Some of those moderates are pushing for removal of the CLASS Act. Budget Chairman Kent Conrad has called the plan to fund the program "a Ponzi scheme."

Sens. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., Ben Nelson, D-Neb., Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Mark Warner, D-Va., and Conrad urged dropping the provision on budget grounds in a letter last week to Reid. Reid is considering the request and has sent draft language with and without CLASS to CBO, senators and aides said.

Some moderates claimed they could not commit until they see Reid's proposals, but they did not fault the leader for keeping his cards close.

"Sen. Nelson wants to see the CBO score and plan details together so he can see the whole picture of Sen. Reid's plan and the associated costs," a Nelson spokesman said. "That will help him understand the implications of the policy issues in the bill."

Democratic leaders' hope is that moderates who are not completely happy with the overhaul bill will still allow the Senate to vote to move onto the bill then wheel and deal with leaders later to help them hit the 60-vote threshold to hold a final vote on the bill.

Reid and Democratic leaders have insisted that once the bill is on the floor, the amendment process will help win over fence-sitting Democrats, though they have not specified how.

"We all know that the bill that emerges after weeks of debate on the Senate floor is not going to be the same one that Leader Reid submitted," Schumer said. "There's going to be lots of change, compromise, lots of push and pull."

A senior Democratic aide said floor time will provide flexibility for tradeoffs.

"You don't know until you get onto the bill," the aide added. "Moderate Senator X may have a problem with issue A. Well, maybe Senator X can't get his problem with issue A taken care of. But he can get B and C taken care of and maybe's that's enough."

With the bill yet to be unveiled, the aide questioned why lawmakers like Lieberman, who has said he will not back cloture on a bill with a state opt-out public plan Reid intends to include, would take a firm position.

"It's a little bit premature to be drawing lines in the sand, by him or anyone else," the aide said.

Democratic leaders are also hoping that floor consideration will ramp up pressure from the left on Democratic moderates, with top Democrats repeatedly referring to "the historic moment" the bill's consideration will represent.

"I hope so," Majority Whip Durbin said when asked if constituent pressure on moderates will grow when the bill hits the floor. "I hope they understand the historic responsibility we have here. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."