Congressional Republicans could be poised to block nationalized health care. One catch: they can’t do it alone.
The 179 Republican representatives in the House do not have the necessary 219 votes out of 435 to stop President Obama’s quest for universal health care by just sticking to party lines. Instead, they will be forced to align themselves
Blue Dog Coalition logo
with their colleagues across the aisle- the Blue Dog Coalition.
These self-proclaimed fiscally conservative Democrats announced last week that they oppose Sen. Kennedy’s bill that would create a state-sponsored health care system. This measure, known as the American Health Choices Act, would force all employers to provide health care to their employees or endure a substantial penalty. It would also create a government-run insurance company that would compete with private sector coverage. Finally, it would impose strict limitations on insurance companies that would restrict profits in the private health care industry.
The Blue Dog Coalition published a press release Thursday that indicated they opposed Sen. Kennedy’s proposed legislation, as they feared it would jeopardize the rights of the more than 160 million Americans who already have private insurance and, consequently, relationships with their health care providers. They also worry that government interference in the health care industry would disrupt free market solutions for health care in the U.S. and force Americans into involuntary participation.
The good news for Republicans: The Blue Dog Coalition has already set its own conditions for health care reform, which clearly contradict those outlined in the 170-page Kennedy bill and the supportive statements from fellow Democrats in the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Moreover, it seems public enthusiasm for universal health care is waning. CNN reports that less than half (49 percent) of respondents in a March 2009 poll would be “willing to pay higher taxes so that everyone can have health insurance.” This is a 17 percent drop from the earliest days of President Obama’s administration, when 66 percent of respondents claimed they would be willing to pay higher taxes to subsidize health care. Furthermore, an April 2009 Gallup poll claimed that only 9 percent of Americans felt that health care was the most important issue facing the U.S. today.
Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), the Minority Leader representing the GOP in the House, could argue that because many of the Blue Dogs represent right-leaning states who are often more conservative than their elected leaders, it is beneficial for the Blue Dogs to join the Republicans in opposing the bill. After all, these Democrats will have to ensure their incumbency in 2010, and with universal health care’s popularity plummeting, Boehner could assert that it would be in their best interest to stand against it.
The bad news for Republicans: The GOP must secure 219 votes to block American Health Choices Act. Currently, they only have 179. That means 40 out of the 51 Blue Dogs (or 78 percent) would have to switch over and vote in-line with the Republicans. While they have joined together as a coalition to speak out against the bill, voting might be another story.
With Speaker Pelosi controlling the floor of the House until at least January 2011, these Blue Dogs have to worry about their own legislation getting passed. If they oppose nationalizing health care, they could possibly endure political repercussions, damaging their own Congressional careers.
Since politicking is name of the game, Blue Dogs have to assess whether it is politically expedient to oppose nationalizing health care. One thing is certain: it can’t happen without them.
Tags: American Health Choices Act, Blue Dog Democrats, Congress, John Boehner, Ted Kennedy
