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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Democrat Leader Attacks GOP for Not Supporting Health Care - Struggling with Own Party

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid followed President Barack Obama's lead today in blasting Republicans for opposing a plan to overhaul the nation’s health care system and create a government-subsidized insurance program.

“On something as important as health care you would think people would be interested in working together,” Reid told reporters Tuesday. “Republicans aren’t interested in working with Democrats. That’s pretty clear.”

Reid went on to excoriate Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) for asserting earlier that failure to pass health care reform would “break” Obama, and he took on Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele for a National Press Club speech Steele delivered yesterday criticizing Obama’s plan.

“What’s his name?” Reid asked, referring to Steele.

“Let’s step back after these brilliant statements made by my Republican colleagues,” Reid added. “The party of no is hoping that we trip and fall.”

Yet Reid still has trouble in his own caucus, as Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has yet to produce a consensus on how to pay for health reform.

And Reid would not commit to passing a health care bill by the August recess. He went on to say he was hopeful that the long-awaited completion of the Senate Finance Committee bill would be completed this week and that a markup would begin on Saturday. - Politico Story

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