Thread: Talks with Bluedogs Dead

Dear Liberty Activist,



It looks like Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman's gamble to go over the Blue Dog Democrats' heads on the Energy and Commerce committee has completely backfired.



According to Roll Call, talks between seven key Blue Dogs and Waxman have completely broken down:

Talks With Blue Dogs Appear Dead



By Steven T. Dennis



Closed-door negotiations over health care reform between House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and conservative Blue Dog Democrats broke down Friday afternoon and appeared dead.



A visibly angry Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), the Blue Dog health care task force chairman, said Waxman reneged on deals the two sides had previously agreed on: an independent Medicare commission and adopting Senate language on a public insurance option. He also said Waxman's threats to bring the bill straight to the floor — and bypass a markup in Energy and Commerce — were not helpful.



"We are actually trying to save the bill and we are trying to save our party," Ross said after the meeting ended. He said it's his understanding that the two sides would not have any additional meetings.



"It's my understanding that will be the last meeting we have," Ross said.



All of which does not bode well for Barack Obama's efforts to get his government-run, socialized medicine bill out of the House any time soon, let alone before the summer recess.



According to Reuters, Waxman said "we are going to have to look at perhaps bypassing the committee" if no agreement could be reached with the Blue Dogs on the committee that have held up the legislation because of its high price tag, which will cost more than $1.5 trillion according to Kaiser Health News.



Now that talks have completely collapsed, Waxman and Pelosi appear poised to bring the bill directly to the floor for a vote next week without any committee markup.



All of which leaves the question: Why should the Blue Dogs—who describe themselves as "fiscal conservatives"—vote for legislation that they now have no input in?



That's the question we should be asking Congressman Mike Ross (AR-CD4), who was the leading Blue Dog negotiator on the embattled ObamaCare bill. Let's give him a call at (202) 225-3772 and tell him to stay strong.



He needs to be told that if he stands with the American people in preserving their private health options, then the American people stand with him and his coalition.



For Liberty,



Robert Romano

ALG Senior News Editor
www.getliberty.org

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the list of blue dog dems

http://www.house.gov/melancon/BlueDogs/

Blue Dog Leadership Team

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA-03), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
Rep. Heath Shuler (NC-11), Blue Dog Whip

Blue Dog Members

Altmire, Jason (PA-04)
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Barrow, John (GA-12)
Berry, Marion (AR-01)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
Boren, Dan (OK-02)
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Boyd, Allen (FL-02)
Bright, Bobby (AL-02)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18 )
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Chandler, Ben (KY-06)
Childers, Travis (MS-01)
Cooper, Jim (TN-05)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28 )
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03)
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08 )
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08 )
Gordon, Bart (TN-06)
Griffith, Parker (AL-05)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD)
Hill, Baron (IN-09)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Marshall, Jim (GA-03)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08 )
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Ross, Mike (AR-04)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Space, Zack (OH-18 )
Tanner, John (TN-08 )
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06)

Thanks james posting them.

I don't believe it, I think they are just trying to stop their phones from ringing so they can say after it passed "see the people who opposed have changed their minds".