Republicans have two-prong strategy on healthcare
By Jeffrey Young
Posted: 05/09/09 04:35 PM
Congressional Republicans planning for a full political debate over health reform find themselves having to develop two strategies that inevitably conflict unless a true bipartisan compromise is formed.
On one track, GOP senators such as Chuck Grassley (Iowa) and Mike Enzi (Wyo.) are full participants in negotiating sessions with Senate Democrats as they try to thread the needle and assemble a bill that could achieve President Obama’s goals of reducing healthcare spending, moving toward universal coverage and improving the quality of American medical care but can also attract majority support within both parties.
But even as these and other senators continue to work toward this outcome, GOP lawmakers in both chambers also are gearing up to fight hard against Obama and congressional Democrats on healthcare.
Republican task forces in the House and Senate have been meeting for months to devise talking points against Democratic ideas and develop an alternative health reform plan to use as a counterpoint to Obama and his allies.
Basing most of their criticism on Obama’s proposals such as creating a public plan to provide health benefits and funding comparative effectiveness research, the GOP’s message is that the Democratic platform would weaken the private insurance system to provides coverage to most middle-class voters through their employers and would give the government too much control on the healthcare market.
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