Republicans in Congress will not support health care reform, even if the public option is dropped. According to Kyl, there is no conceivable set of circumstances under which the GOP will vote for any health care reform package the Democrats come up with:
The Senate Republican whip, speaking to reporters on a conference call from his home state of Arizona, said that even if the Democrats do away with a government-run insurance option, the GOP most likely won’t support the bill that’s being written in the Senate.
“I think it’s safe to say that there are a huge number of big issues that people have,” Kyl said, referring to Republican senators. “There is no way that Republicans are going to support a trillion-dollar-plus bill.”
Liberals say the White House is conceding some of the most important aspects of health care reform — such as the public plan — simply to try to win over a handful of Republicans who are unlikely to support the bill anyway. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a key Republican negotiator, has suggested that a bill that fails to win over most of his colleagues probably won’t win his support either.
President Barack Obama has vowed to veto any bill that would increase the deficit over the long term, but Kyl said that a revenue-neutral bill probably won’t get much GOP support either.
“I have no doubt that they can make it revenue neutral to find enough ways to tax the American people, but that doesn’t mean the Republicans will support it,” Kyl said.
Kyl also called nonprofit co-ops “a Trojan Horse for government-run health care.”
A key member of Republican leadership in the Senate declared on Tuesday that a cooperative approach to health insurance was merely a “Trojan horse” for a government-run system.
In a conference call with reporters, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said that while some progressives view the co-op proposal as an unacceptably watered-down alternative to a public insurance option, Republicans think it’s still too similar. He indicated that both he and the party would oppose them.
“On the co-op… as Democrats have said, it doesn’t matter what you call it, they want it to accomplish something that Republicans are opposed to,” Kyl told reporters. “That is the step towards government-run health care in the country. The president himself said you can imagine a cooperative meeting that definition of a public option.”
“It is [a public plan] by another name. It is a Trojan horse. And therefore no, I don’t believe Republicans will be inclined to support a bill,” he said.
I don’t know what else the White House needs in the way of proof that making concessions — any concessions — to the GOP is a fool’s game. There is no good faith there — no desire to support even the concept of health care reform.
Bottom line: Jon Kyl has given Barack Obama a gift, beautifully wrapped and tied with a red satin bow. I’m a bit surprised that he’s been so open in communicating Republican intentions, but I suppose he’s feeling cocky and overconfident right now. The question now becomes: Will Pres. Obama be able to show some integrity and fortitude, and make it clear that all compromises are off the table?
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