House Kicks Off Debate on Health Care Bill

Rep.John Dingell (D-Mich.), the sponsor of the bill and the longest-servingHouse Member, was greeted with cheers as he gaveled the House to orderto begin debate on the rule, the first major vote of the day. Thismarked the first time Dingell has presided since the House passedlegislation creating Medicare on April 8, 1965.

“Asa man in this House who has had reform of health care in his blood, whohas worked longer than anyone in America alive today to see this day, Iam so happy to see you in this chair. It is an historic day made evenmore wonderful for us by having you preside,” said Rules ChairwomanLouise Slaughter (D-N.Y.).

President Barack Obama will meet with the Democratic Caucus late Saturday morning in a final push to support the package.

Thepresident’s effort comes as Democratic leaders face a potential revoltby the Congressional Hispanic Caucus if Republicans successfully amendthe health care overhaul to prohibit illegal immigrants from usingtheir own money to buy health insurance in the new national insuranceexchange.

SpeakerNancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told the CHC on Thursday that there is “nothingthey can do” if Republicans use a motion to recommit to add the ban tothe bill, according to a Democratic aide familiar with the matter.

“Itseems the CHC has themselves in pickle,” said the aide. If Republicansopt to use the procedural motion to force a vote on the ban, “eithersome CHC members will have to grow a spine and vote against [the bill]… or backtrack. It’s like a chess game here.”

Rep.Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said on C-SPAN this morning that CHC memberswould vote against any measure that includes such a ban. That wouldlikely be enough to bring down the bill, unless Hispanic Members can beplacated with promises about what a bill would look like coming backfrom conference with the Senate.

Anysuch promises however would be difficult to enforce given that Senatelanguage already bans illegal immigrants from accessing the exchangeand the White House has endorsed the ban.

“I’m going to vote against it if it includes the language … this stupid language,” Gutierrez said later.

Gutierrezblamed the White House for going too far in trying to make the pointthat the bill would not cover illegal immigrants after Rep. JoeWilson’s (R-S.C.) accusation that the president was lying aboutservices being provided to illegal immigrants.

“What the president did was he ginned this up to the point where he has a problem,” said Gutierrez.

Obamahas vowed to address comprehensive immigration reform, however, and ifpassed, such a bill would likely render moot the ban on illegalimmigrants before the insurance exchange takes effect in 2013.

Democraticleaders also still face turbulence on the abortion issue, despitegiving in to demands from anti-abortion Democrats to allow a vote on anamendment by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) prohibiting abortion coveragein public or private plans subsidized by the federal government in thenew insurance exchange.

Rep.Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said on C-SPAN Saturday morning that supportersof abortion rights would lobby hard against the amendment but said thatshe would support sending the bill to conference even if it passes.However, Schakowsky said she would vote against a conference reportthat included the ban.