Obama may lack votes on Health, Feinstein says [View All]

[andym]

I'll be giving her a call on Monday to voice my lack of support for her lack of support.
The current NYT/CBS poll and making health care cost effective through a public option will be primary arguments.
Also, rising health care costs are dampening the ability of companies to hire new workers. SO fixing this will accelerate economic recovery.
--------

NYT
By DERRICK HENRY
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/22/health/policy/22healthcare.html

President Obama may not have the votes in the Senate to pass his call for a sweeping overhaul of the health-care system, a leading Democratic senator said on Sunday. “I don’t know that he has the votes right now,” said Dianne Feinstein of California, who joined Republicans in voicing reservations about the White House proposal. “I think there’s a lot of concern in the Democratic caucus.”

Ms. Feinstein, who appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” also said controlling the cost of a new health-care system, estimated to be at least $1 trillion, “is a very major and difficult subject.”

Ms. Feinstein has threatened to vote against Mr. Obama’s health care bill if it draws Medicare funds from high-cost areas like California to low-cost areas of the country. Ms. Feinstein noted that California’s population is greater than that of 21 states and the District of Columbia combined.

Also on Sunday, she suggested that the results of Mr. Obama’s efforts to repair the economy and overhaul the financial-regulatory system should be measured before taking on health care.