Today in Washington, D.C. - Mar 10, 2010 - Are Blue Dog Democrats Becoming Neutered Lap Dogs?

Yesterday, the Senate voted 66-34 to invoke cloture on the Baucus substitute amendment to the tax extenders bill. Prior to that vote, the Senate voted 100-0 to adopt an amendment from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) requiring that the amount of new unpaid for spending be posted on the Senate website. Senators  rejected a motion to waive the Budget Act to allow an amendment from Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) to spend $1.3 billion for workforce development and summer youth jobs programs.

The Senate may take up the FAA reauthorization bill now that it has finished with H.R. 4213. Today, at 2 PM, the Senate resumed consideration and passed H.R. 4213, the tax extenders bill by a vote of 62 to 36. The American Workers, State and Business Relief Act, passed Wednesday, extends unemployment insurance benefits and eligibility for the 65 percent COBRA health care tax credit through Dec. 31, 2010. The COBRA tax credit helps workers who have lost their jobs continue to afford health insurance through the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.  The legislation also retroactively extends tax cuts for middle-class families and businesses that expired at the end of 2009. In addition, the legislation reverses a scheduled 21 percent payment cut for doctors who provide services through Medicare and Tricare to enable seniors and military families to continue to have access to their physicians.

Senate Finance Committee ranking member Charles Grassley (R-IA) voted against the measure although he had originally co-sponsored a measure last month with many of the same tax extender provisions. Grassley expressed his reason for not supporting the bill, “I proved my support for extending tax provisions to encourage private-sector job creation, many of which I authored in the first place, and my support for extending unemployment benefits with the bipartisan legislation I proposed in February with Senator Baucus. Our bill did not include $100 billion of spending that was not paid for under federal budget rules. It hurts economic recovery efforts and America’s financial stability for Congress to continue rampant deficit spending. The fact that Democratic leaders let the biodiesel tax credit lapse at the end of 2009 has cost jobs in Iowa and 43 other states with biodiesel production. It was irresponsible and even offensive for congressional leaders to make the extension of important renewable energy tax incentives contingent on adding another $100 billion to the federal budget deficit.”

As Democrats forge ahead in their apparently unwavering determination to pass their unpopular health care bill, Blue Dog Democrats are under fire from all sides and seem to be getting a raw deal from their leadership.

As The New York Times reported last week, “The future of President Obama’s health care overhaul now rests largely with two blocs of swing Democrats in the House of Representatives — abortion opponents and fiscal conservatives — whose indecision signals the difficulties Speaker Nancy Pelosi faces in securing the votes necessary to pass the bill. . . . That leaves Ms. Pelosi in the tough spot of trying to keep wavering members of her caucus on board, while persuading some who voted no to switch their votes to yes — all at a time when Democrats are worried about their prospects for re-election.”

And a Politico story today explains how Republicans are pointing out all the problems with the health care bill that are particularly uncomfortable for Blue Dog Democrats. “Speaking on health care Monday, [Senate Republican Leader Mitch] McConnell suddenly switched gears, for example, and threw in a line about the high cost of the Senate’s $100 billion-plus jobless benefits bill, heading soon to the House. ‘Every dime’ of 10-year savings from health reform would be wiped out ‘with one stroke of the president’s pen,’ he said. And by implication, debt-conscious Blue Dogs can’t assume the country is moving in ‘a more fiscally responsible direction. ... And this undercuts the entire point of reform,’ said the Kentucky Republican.”

Further, The New York Times notes today, “Many rank-and-file House Democrats are reluctant to approve the Senate-passed health care measure without a guarantee that the Senate would follow up with changes in a budget reconciliation bill. The Senate measure included a number of provisions House members dislike, including special deals intended to secure the support of individual senators, like extra Medicaid money for Nebraska.”

“Republican leaders have been working to fan distrust of the Senate among House Democrats,” the NYT explains, “warning that Mr. Obama and the Senate would have little reason to pursue the budget reconciliation process once the House approves the Senate-passed bill. At that point, the Republicans suggest, Mr. Obama might just as well hold a signing ceremony and declare the legislation completed, even though it would include the objectionable provisions that the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, inserted.”

As Politico points out, “The votes of Blue Dogs, representing often rural and more conservative districts, are pivotal; anything to add to their collective angst is game for Republicans.” ♠Blue Dog Democrats would do well to look around and take stock of the situation that Democrat leaders’ quixotic quest for health care reform has put them in. National Review’s Jim Geraghty writes today, “How is health polling in those key swing House districts? Well, as lousy as you might guess. The Start Over! Coalition – a group of 248 employers - contracted the Tarrance Group to gauge support for the health care bill being debated in Congress. On March 7 and 8, they surveyed 300 likely voters in each of 11 key congressional districts. As you would expect, its popularity ranks somewhere between Tiger Woods and Toyoda accelerator pedals.”

Dave Sackett of the Tarrance Group explained just how much of a problem this is: “Outright majorities in 10 of the 11 Congressional Districts polled oppose the Democratic health care bill – there’s a six-point opposition plurality in one – and strong majorities in all 11 districts object to the use of reconciliation procedures to move health care reform through the Congress and to the President’s desk.” Most importantly, Sackett said, “Across the 11 districts polled, over 69% say their Representative’s vote on health care will be ‘very important’ to their voting decision in November.  In none of the districts does this number fall below 63%.”

Are Blue Dog Democrats becoming neutered Lap Dogs? We will know for sure if they let their leadership march them over a cliff on health care reform rather than listen to the clear and consistent message of the American people to oppose this government takeover of health care and start over on sensible bipartisan reforms.

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