Ezra Klein has a good breakdown of the three types of Democratic hold-outs in the House on health care reform. But it’s a bit more than three types. There are anti-choicers who want to cordon off federal funds from reimbursing abortion providers. There are members of the Hispanic caucus who want undocumented workers to have access to the health exchanges. There are single-payer advocates who either want their promised vote on that issue, or think this reform will enshrine a flawed system in perpetuity. There are members who object to a surtax on millionaires. There are members who don’t want more government involvement in the health care industry. And, then, there are scaredy-cats. Some members are in multiple camps.
David Dayen is keeping an updated whip count, and he has 25 definite Democratic ‘no’ votes.
Adler (NJ), Baird (WA), Boren (OK), Bright (AL), Childers (MS), A. Davis (AL), L. Davis (TN), Gordon (TN), P.Griffith (AL), Herseth Sandlin (SD), Kissell (NC), Kosmas (FL), Kratovil (MD), Marshall (GA), Massa (NY), Matheson (UT), McMahon (NY), Melancon (LA), Minnick (ID), Peterson (MN), Skelton (MO), Stupak (MI), Tanner (TN), Taylor (MS), Teague (NM)
Stupak is the leader of the abortion faction, so his ‘no’ depends on the final compromise. I hear Baird’s vote might actually be in play, too, but I don’t know what he wants. Massa wants single-payer or nothing. Melancon is running for senate in Louisiana and Artur Davis is running for governor in Alabama. Pelosi can only afford to lose 40 votes, and she is currently losing closer to fifty.
This is already a piece of crap bill. It’s pathetic that we’re struggling to reach the finish line. There are a lot of people who think we should be able to pass a much stronger bill. They’re right. But we can’t.
