By Jake Tapper,ABC News
Obama is ready to Rahm It through
White House officials tell ABC News that in his remarks tomorrow President Obama will indicate a willingness to work with Republicans on some issue to get a health care reform bill passed but will say that if it is necessary,Democrats will use the controversial reconciliation rules requiring only 51 Senate votes to pass the "fix"to the Senate bill.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been awaiting the president’s remarks direction on how health care reform will proceed.
In his remarks,scheduled to be at the White House,the president will paint a picture of what he will say will happen without a health care reform bill – skyrocketing premiums,everyone at the mercy of the insurance industry as recently seen with the 39% premium increases proposed by Anthem Blue Cross in California.
He will note that the “fixed” bill will include the proposal for a new "Health Insurance Rate Authority"to set guidelines for reasonable rate increases. If proposed premium increases are not justifiable per those Health Insurance Rate Authority guidelines,the Health and Human Services Secretary or state regulators could block them.
The president will outline the plan to pass the bill,including having the House of Representatives pass the Democratic Senate health care reform legislation as well as a second bill containing various “fixes.”
He will call for an up or down vote,as has happened in the past,and though he won’t use the word reconciliation,he’ll make it clear that if they’re not given an up or down vote,Democrats will use the reconciliation rules.
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