US President Barack Obama’s high-stakes health summit failed on Thursday to break an impasse over his historic reform drive, prompting him to warn he would press on with or without Republican help.
Civility largely prevailed at the grueling daylong meeting, after Obama warned against “political theater,” but there was no breakthrough on sharp ideological disputes threatening to suffocate his ambitious presidency.
The more than six hours of back-and-forth exchanges between top Republicans and Democrats were unique in political history, and came after a poisoned year-long debate over health care.
PHOTO: AFP
Obama hinted at the talks at Blair House opposite the White House that he would seek to drive the massive reform bid through Congress even without Republican votes, which his foes flatly stated would not be forthcoming.
Few analysts expected the meeting would yield major progress, and for both sides it was as much about political positioning and setting the terrain for mid-term congressional polls in November as finding compromise.
But Obama said at the outset: “I hope that this isn’t political theater, where we’re just playing to the cameras and criticizing each other, but instead are actually trying to solve the problem.”
It was not immediately clear however if the move would buy Obama time to thrust his bill through Congress, or credit from voters for providing the bipartisan outreach they tell pollsters they crave.
Obama challenged Republicans to drop obstruction tactics and back the latest version of his new US$950 billion plan to cover 31 million uninsured Americans, cut abuses by the vast insurance industry and lower premiums.
He cited possible deals between Democratic and Republican leaders on issues like medical malpractice, the insurance market and health care costs, but admitted that other gaps were so wide they may not be bridged.
“Is there enough serious effort, that in a month’s time, or in a few weeks’ time, or six weeks’ time, we could actually resolve something?” Obama asked.
“If we can’t — then I think we have to go ahead and make some decisions and then that is what elections are for,” he said, raising the prospect of a hardball political strategy.
Although crediting Obama for holding the meeting, Republicans rejected his approach.
“Frankly, I was discouraged by the outcome,” Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell told reporters. “I think it is pretty clear that the majority, including the president, want to continue the same bill. I do not believe there will be any Republican support for this 2,700-page bill.”
Republican Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, faulted Obama’s approach.
“I just don’t think the president was listening, even though he invited us to hear our ideas,” Kyl said. “There are some fundamental differences of opinion ... It is not going to be possible with that kind of an approach to come together within the timeframe that he indicated.”
Republican Representative Eric Cantor, however, said he was “hopeful, maybe, that the president will take the message from the American people to set this bill aside.”
“There was adequate airing of views on both sides,” he said.
Obama said health reform was crucial to alleviating deficits and to the future health of the US economy, and was a moral imperative with millions of Americans hit by medical bills they cannot pay.
But Republicans demanded he ditch his ambitious plan and start again.
The House and Senate have failed to agree a single piece of legislation for Obama to sign into law.
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