Top Dog: “I’ve been lied to…”Back to the Blog »
July 24th, 2009
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It’s really getting ugly. From The Hill:
House healthcare negotiations dissolved in acrimony on Friday, with Blue Dog Democrats saying they were “lied” to by their Democratic leaders.
The main culprit appears to be Henry Waxman, the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee:
The seven Blue Dogs on the Energy and Commerce Committee stormed out of a Friday meeting with their committee chairman, Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), saying Waxman had been negotiating in bad faith over a number of provisions Blue Dogs demanded be changed in the stalled healthcare bill.
Waxman, it appears, has been playing both sides to the middle within the broader Democratic caucus, and it all broke into the open on the subject of the public option. Emotions are running HOT:
“I’ve been lied to,” Blue Dog Coalition Co-Chairman Charlie Melancon (D-La.) said on Friday. “We have not had legitimate negotiations.
“Mr. Waxman has decided to sever discussions with the Blue Dogs who are trying to make this bill work for America,” Melancon said.
Although those Blue Dogs were supposed to be headed back into another meeting of the Energy and Commerce Democrats, their anger was visible.
Reports later in the day showed that reconciliation was in the works. From Politico:
Late Friday, Democrats stepped back from the precipice of intra-party war – and back to the health care bargaining table – hours after a bitter verbal spat between top Blue Dog Democrats and Henry Waxman, the liberal chairman of House Energy and Commerce Committee.
A contrite and weary Waxman joined a top Dog, Mike Ross (D-Ark.) to announce talks were back on track to hash out differences between fiscal conservatives who want cost cuts and progressives who want more services…
…“Our colleagues have pulled us back from the brink,” Waxman said. “Nothing is off the table… Our colleagues made it very clear they want us to succeed.”
The meltdown came after Waxman threatened to by pass the committee vote–and the 7 Blue Dog on the committee–and bring the bill directly to the floor. According to Politico, that is still an option favored by more liberal Democrats:
Some House progressives, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, are open to a nuclear option – bypassing the committee altogether and taking the bill directly to the floor.
Is this anyway to get ready for Summer vacation?
Posted by Bill in Blue Dogs, Healthcare Reform
