News Items

Clock Ticking on Health Care for Democrats

CBNNEWS.COM

This week is crunch-time for Democrats trying to pass healthcare reform.

House leaders have admitted they don't have the votes needed right now, but still say they're certain the legislation will pass.

"I am confident there will be a majority," Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said.

"As the Congressional Budget Office scores the rest of this bill, members of the House will get a closer look, and take a closer look at each of the provisions in it and make up their minds," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs weighed in.

"We do believe that a week from today we'll be...

Obama Delays Trip to Push Health Care Bill

CBNNEWS.COM

President Barack Obama is delaying his trip to Indonesia to put all his efforts behind passing his health care overhaul plan.

The president was supposed to depart on March 18, the same day as his deadline to pass the bill.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., needs to flip the votes from at least 37 Democrats who voted against the bill last year.

Democratic leaders say they've made 'dramatic progress' over the past 24 hours. Still, Pelosi has yet to schedule a vote.

"We will take up the bill when we're ready to take up the bill," she said.

"This is the finish line,"...

Will Democrats Meet White House Deadline on Health Care?

CBNNEWS.COM

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama has said he wants health care reform passed by the end of next week.

However, Democrats still may not have enough votes to pass the measure, so they may try another unusual maneuver instead.

Pelosi: We're Getting Close

Democrats say the tide is turning and they're feeling confident about their latest push for health care reform.

After a closed door meeting with congressional and White House officials Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., emerged saying she's "very pleased" about where they are...

Action Alert: Critical House vote coming up on ObamaCare

Dear Friend,

We are now coming down to the wire in the debate over health care.

Currently, the House of Representatives is considering whether or not to approve the Senate passed version of ObamaCare.

If you have not joined our campaign to stop the big government takeover of our healthcare, I invite you to speak out now.

In their bid to increase support for the bill, Democrat leaders claim that if the House passes this bill they will then...

Dems Under Deadline to Pass Health Care Bill

CBNNEWS.COM

THE WHITE HOUSE -- The Democrats have just a week to pass health care reform. That's the deadline President Obama has given to Congress.

Still, Republicans say they can't vote for the bill. They warn it will be far too expensive.

President Obama leaves the country on an overseas trip on March 18, which is Thursday of next week. He says he wants both the House and Senate to pass the massive and controversial health care reform by then.

He's trying to add some pressure by hitting the campaign trail and attempting to whip up public support.

"We need to pass...

Same-sex Couples in D.C. Set to Say "I Do"

D.C. joins Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Iowa in allowing same-sex marriage.

Washington (CNN) -- Dozens of same-sex couples plan to marry in the District of Columbia on Tuesday, the first day that such unions will be legal in the nation's capital.

The new law survived a Supreme Court challenge last week, when the measure went into effect, but couples had to hold off until Tuesday because of a three-day waiting period.

Sinjoyla Townsend and Angelisa Young say they have waited for years for this day. They...

President Obama's Faith Based Advisory Council Will Not Discuss Abortions

CBNNEWS.COM

President Barack Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships are scheduled to present policy recommendations to him on Tuesday. Issues to be addressed include poverty, climate change, and the need for interfaith cooperation.

Read more about the White House Faith Council Meeting here on The Brody File.

"The recommendations call...for greater clarity in the church-state guidance given...

Obama Pitches Health Care Bill to Dems

CBNNEWS.COM

President Barack Obama is moving full-speed ahead, traveling the country trying to convince Americans to buy health care reform. He is in Philadelphia Monday and St. Louis later this week.

The president wants to get a health care bill passed in the House by March 18.

However, the White House and congressional Democrats have all but given up on passing a bipartisan bill.

"People are very, very skeptical about starting a whole new government program when we're drowning in a sea of debt," Senate Minority Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on ABC's This Week Sunday.

Republicans made the...

Dispute Over Abortion Coverage Divides House Democrats

CBNNEWS.COM

WASHINGTON -- Two days after President Barack Obama called for an up-or-down vote on his version of health care reform, congressional Democrats are divided over the bill.

Some are worried about how much it will cost while for others, the big issue is abortion.

A Democratic Brawl?

Although the Senate has been getting lots of attention for preparing to pass controversial health care legislation with a simple majority, the real fight over health care is shaping up among Democrats in the House of Representatives.

That's because to...

President Obama Has Agreed to By-Pass Republicans and Vote on Health Care

CBNNEWS.COM

After months of debate and no progress on health care legislation, President Obama is now urging Congress to use a controversial strategy that will deny Republicans the chance of a filibuster.

Under the special budget procedure known as "reconciliation," it will now take just 51 Senate votes to pass the health care bill, rather than the standard 60.

"The American people want to know if it's still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future," Obama said Wednesday. "They are waiting for us to act. They are waiting for us to lead. And as long as I hold this...

Conservative Rick Perry Wins Primary in Texas

CBNNEWS.COM

Riding a wave of anti-Washington sentiment, Texas Governor Rick Perry defeated Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison to win the Republican nomination in Tuesday's Texas primary elections.

With the results in from nearly all precincts, Perry took 51 percent of the vote to Hutchison's 30 percent. Perry, a favorite among social conservatives, is seeking his third four-year term.

"From Driftwood, Texas, to Washington, D.C. we are sending you a message tonight: Stop messing with Texas!" Perry said.

"We have fought valiantly for our principles, but we did not win," Hutchison said in...

Supreme Court Refuses to Stop Gay Marriage in D.C.

CBNNEWS.COM

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused to block a gay marriage law from taking effect in Washington, D.C.

The denial allows gays to marry freely within the nation's capital beginning Wednesday.  Supporters of traditional marriage had asked Chief Justice John Roberts to stop the city from issuing the licenses while they appealed. They argued that citizens of the District should be allowed to vote on the issue.

"It has been the practice of the court to defer to the decisions of the courts of the District of Columbia on matters of exclusively local concern," Roberts wrote. He added that...

Democrats Who Voted No on Healthcare Bill May Reconsider

CBNNEWS.COM

Nine House Democrats said Monday they're willing to switch their "no" votes to "yes" votes on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, according to an Associated Press survey.

The lawmakers who indicated they might change their vote includes Brian Baird of Washington, Bart Gordon of Tennessee, and John Tanner of Tennessee, Rick Boucher of Virginia, Suzanne Kosmas of Florida, Frank Kratovil of Maryland, Michael McMahon of New York, Scott Murphy of New York, and Glenn Nye of Virginia.

Although Democrats hold a large majority in the House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has...

Democrats Seek to Use Reconciliation for Healthcare Bill

CBNNEWS.COM

The Obama administration is calling for the Senate to bypass a Republican filibuster to push through its health care overhaul. That means going through a process called reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority to pass.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is rallying House Democrats to get behind the health care bill, but she said it's not clear the bill has enough support.

"Do you have the 217 votes necessary to pass it in the House," Elizabeth Vargas, host of ABC's This Week, asked Pelosi on Sunday.

"Well, right now we're working on the policy," Pelosi answered....

Did Healthcare Summit Make an Impact?

CBNNEWS.COM

The day-long heath care summit is over, but some are not sure if it made any difference.

There are reports President Barack Obama wants health reform legislation passed by mid-March. And if that does not happen, he may ask Congress to temporarily set it aside.

CBN White House Correspondent David Brody appeared on Friday's CBN Newschannel's Morning program to give his insight on what to expect next on the battle for health care reform.

"I'm hoping that this isn't just political theater," Obama said in his opening statement to the summit.

"We believe we have a better idea," Sen....

Obama, Congress to Compromise on Tort Reform

CBNNEWS.COM

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will meet Thursday with bipartisan leaders in Congress to discuss health care. The goal is to find common ground and that's renewed the debate over medical lawsuits.

From the beginning, Republicans have argued tort reform must be included in healthcare reform. Such reform would mean changes to the way doctors can be sued for medical malpractice.

"We've got to be able to give them a little bit of a backstop on the liability end," Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, said.

Just across the Potomac in Virginia, Dr. Russell Libby is a practicing...

Obamacare 2.0: His New Plan for Health Care

CBNNEWS.COM

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is unveiling his own health care program on Monday since Congress has failed to pass a measure after months of debate and backroom deals.

Top Democratic officials are hoping to pass the bill with just 51 votes in the U.S. Senate.

A key feature of the president's new plan gives the government the power to deny or roll back what Washington considers "egregious" price increases on insurance.

It also includes subsidies for low-income families and banning denial of coverage based on pre-existing conditions. In addition, the...

Obama Keeps All Democrat HC Option on Table

CBNNEWS.COM

WASHINGTON -- Democratic leaders are tweaking the Senate health care bill that passed last year to make it more palatable to the House of Representatives.

The proposal will be posted online by the White House on Monday. That's three days ahead of President Barack Obama's Feb. 25 bipartisan summit with congressional leaders, giving everyone 72 hours to read the plan.

Officials have signaled they plan to use controversial parliamentary maneuvers that allow them to pass the plan without Republican support.

It's a sign that Democrats plan to continue pushing...

Stimulus Coverage Shows Media Bias

CBNNEWS.COM

Recent numbers show the economic stimulus bill has had strong support in the mainstream media, despite controversy surrounding its $787 billion price tag.

Since the legislation was signed last year, ABC, CBS and NBC all covered stimulus supporters by nearly a three to one margin over critics.

Nearly half of the reports by these networks also included zero criticism of the bill.

Conservative groups like the Business and Media Institute-- which conducted the study-- say this proves there is a clear bias when it comes to reports on legislation from the Obama administration.

...

Obama Hails Stimulus Plan a "Big Success"

CBNNEWS.COM

WASHINGTON -- One year after passing a massive economic stimulus plan, President Barack Obama credited the move for staving off another Great Depression and saving up to 2 million jobs.

Although critics say the bill was a waste of taxpayer money, the Obama administration is hailing it as a big success, even while acknowledging that many have not yet felt the effects of it.

"It doesn't yet feel like much of a recovery," Obama admitted Wednesday. Obama explained that the plan included tax cuts for most Americans, help for state governments, extended social service benefits, and huge investments in energy, education...