Conservative Democrats break ranks on health care
Conservative House Democrats are demanding significant changes before they can support a sweeping health care overhaul, forcing the House to join the Senate in delaying action on President Obama’s top domestic priority.
The Blue Dog Democrats’ list of demands came on the eve of House Democratic leaders’ planned unveiling of their final bill today. The bill release was pushed back to Monday at the earliest and Democratic leaders agreed to devote today to meetings with the fiscally conservative Blue Dogs to work through their concerns.
These include the need for more cost containment measures, protections for small businesses and a focus on rural health care.
"We cannot support a final product that fails to" address these issues, members of the group wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Opposition from the 52-member group could imperil House passage of a bill.
