Republicans open hearing of House tax-writing committee vowing to fight Dems’ health care bill

October 5th, 2009 Senate committee vote slipsWASHINGTON — It's going to take a little longer for the last congressional committee writing health care legislation to finish its work. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana had hoped for a final vote by his panel on Tuesday, but a cost analysis from the Congressional Budget Office isn't ready yet.

September 26th, 2009 Republican says Dems ignoring health care concernsWASHINGTON — Republicans say Democrats have ignored the public's concerns in drafting new health care legislation under debate in the Senate Finance Committee. Democrats are giving the public anything but an "open, honest and bipartisan debate," Sen.

September 26th, 2009 GOP: Dems ignoring public's health care concernsWASHINGTON — The Democratic-run Congress is ignoring the public's concerns in the rush to pass legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system, Republicans say. "The American people expect us to get this right and to do it in an open, honest and bipartisan debate.

September 16th, 2009 Baucus calls health care bill commonsense measureWASHINGTON — A prominent Democratic senator is calling his 10-year, $856 billion health care bill a common sense measure that can win broad support. Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Finance Committee, unveiled his much-awaited legislation Wednesday after months of bipartisan negotiations that failed to win visible Republican support.

September 16th, 2009 White House: Senate health bill a 'building block'WASHINGTON — The White House says a health care reform bill from a key Senate committee is "an important building block" in getting closer to comprehensive health care reform. Sen. Max Baucus released the long-awaited version of the bill from his Senate Finance committee Wednesday.

September 15th, 2009 Rangel: Health bill harder after Obama speechWASHINGTON — A key House committee chairman says proposals President Barack Obama set out in his health care speech are causing problems for Democrats trying to finalize health legislation in the House. Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel of New York says House Democrats would have to slash subsidies to the poor to get their bill to the $900 billion, 10-year price tag Obama specified.

August 24th, 2009 Republicans offer seniors health 'bill of rights'WASHINGTON — Republicans are targeting older Americans worried about President Barack Obama's health overhaul plans with a "seniors' health care bill of rights." The six principles outlined Monday by the Republican National Committee include protecting Medicare, prohibiting rationing of health care based on age and making sure government doesn't get between seniors and their doctors. The Obama administration has insisted repeatedly that it doesn't want to shrink Medicare benefits, ration care or reduce the role of doctors.

August 23rd, 2009 Senator: Single health care bill a better approachWASHINGTON — A key Democrat in the health care debate says separating out the various issues and putting them in different bills isn't likely to work. Some lawmakers have suggested that a separate bill with changes that are supported by Republicans and Democrats would be one route toward progress on the health care overhaul.

July 30th, 2009 GOP senator says health care bill not readyWASHINGTON — A key Republican senator involved in bipartisan talks on health care says there's no way a breakthrough will happen before lawmakers' August recess. Wyoming Sen.

July 20th, 2009 Obama: pass health overhaul by end of yearWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama pushed back hard against critics of his health care overhaul plan Monday, vowing to fight "the politics of the moment" and press for passage of legislation by the end of the year. "We can't afford the politics of delay and defeat when it comes to health care," Obama said after meeting with doctors, nurses and other health care workers at Children's National Medical Center.

July 17th, 2009 House committee agrees to longer COBRA benefitsWASHINGTON — Lawmakers have amended a far-reaching health care overhaul bill to allow workers who lose their jobs to hang onto their employer-provided care until they get new coverage. The measure agreed to by voice vote in the House Education and Labor Committee affects the program known as COBRA.

July 16th, 2009 GOP fails to strip public option from health billWASHINGTON — Republicans have failed to strip a government-run benefits plan from the House bill overhauling health care. The House Ways and Means Committee voted 25-15 on Thursday to keep the government-run option in the bill, rejecting an amendment by Wisconsin Republican Rep.

July 16th, 2009 Democrats push quicker access to health coverageWASHINGTON — House Democrats want to guarantee people with pre-existing health conditions faster access to insurance coverage. Democrats on the Education and Labor Committee passed the amendment as they got to work Thursday on their portion of a sweeping health overhaul bill.

July 14th, 2009 House Dems to unveil health care billWASHINGTON — House Democrats pushed ahead Tuesday with sweeping health care legislation that would raise taxes on the wealthy, require Americans to buy affordable insurance and penalize large companies that don't provide insurance to their employees. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other top Democrats planned to introduce legislation later in the day that would dramatically revamp the health system and fulfill President Barack Obama's goal of slowing rising costs and providing coverage to nearly 50 million uninsured Americans.

May 5th, 2009 White House, House GOP convene meetings on climateWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama summoned 36 House Democrats to the White House on Tuesday to urge them to agree on climate and energy legislation that is under increasing criticism from Republicans and members of his own party. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden met with the lawmakers to discuss two of their key domestic priorities — legislation to cut the emissions linked to global warming by requiring cleaner sources of energy and efforts to overhaul health care.