Word: gop
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...many had predicted, the vote over the patients? bill of rights stalled in the House Thursday after Republican leaders slammed on the brakes. President Bush remains opposed to the Democrats' bill (Norwood-Dingell-Ganske, in Hill shorthand), and has been politicking since his return from Europe for the GOP alternative (sponsored by Kentucky Republican Ernest Fletcher). The Fletcher bill departs from its rival in two primary areas: Capping the amount of liability claims and limiting the venues in which patients can sue their HMOs...
...Douglas Waller: The GOP leadership in the House began its serious vote-counting last night and it?s continuing today. At this point, they don?t have the votes to defeat the Norwood-Dingell-Gansky bill (which is similar to the McCain-Kennedy-Edwards bill that passed in the Senate). The Republicans are pushing the Fletcher bill, but at this point, they just don?t have the numbers...
...leadership wants to get President Bush back in Washington - and he?s due in tonight - to work the phones and lobby harder for Fletcher. GOP leaders had at one point talked about bringing the bill up for consideration beginning Thursday and allowing one day of debate before the vote. Now they?re talking about delaying the procedure in order to give Bush some time to put in his calls Wednesday...
...interesting: On the Senate side, the GOP delayed voting to get their attack ads out on the airwaves, but in the end the ads didn?t work. On the House side, the feeling is 180 degrees from that philosophy - the feeling is the longer the bill stays on the table, the longer the Democrats have to convince people of its merits. So many in the GOP want to get the vote out of the way as soon as possible...
...this point, it looks like the GOP leadership will have to make a decision Wednesday night or Thursday: Are we within striking distance on this, and should we delay to give the President lobbying time, or should we just go ahead and get this thing over with...