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Health care: The Great Debate
Sen. Schumer vows Democrats will pass health care bill with or without GOP support
WASHINGTON - Failure is not an option on health care, a leading Democratic senator said Monday, even as Republicans turned up the heat on moderates who hold the fate of the legislation in their hands.
"We're not going to not pass a bill," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. With or without Republican support, Democrats will get it done, Schumer said, because a health care system that leaves nearly 50 million uninsured and spends more than any other is clearly broken.
Republicans wasted no time Monday going after Democratic moderates who delivered a Senate victory Saturday for President Barack Obama. The 60-39 vote overcame a procedural hurdle and allowed floor debate to start after Thanksgiving. Senate Democrats hope to finish their bill by Christmas, but it remains to be seen whether Obama gets final health care legislation this year.
A state Republican Party leader accused Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., of trying to have it both ways by talking conservative back home and voting with liberals in Washington.
"Nebraskans are finally wising up that there are two Ben Nelsons," said Nebraska GOP Chairman Mark Fahleson. "There's the Washington Ben Nelson ... who gave Democrats the vote they wanted. Then there's the Nebraska Ben Nelson ... who comes back here to Nebraska and tries to portray himself as a conservative."
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Concerns over the pace and breadth of health care reform have birthed a fiery wave of activism during the congressional recess as fearful citizens make their voices heard with resounding vigor.
Bachmann leads rally opposing health plan
Thousands of protesters gathered at the U.S. Capitol and chanted "Kill the bill."
Losing jobs costs more their health coverage
About 45,700 working-age Minnesotans are projected to have lost their health insurance so far this year because they lost their jobs, according to a report released today by the Washington-based consumer group Families USA.
More from this series:
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Minnesota jumps into DC lobbying scrum on health care
The Mayo Clinic, UnitedHealth Group, Medtronic and St. Jude are among those making their presence felt in Washington. -
Mandated healthcare in Massachusetts
Star Tribune reporter, Chen May Yee traveled to Massachusetts to see if their brand of mandated healthcare works. Is this a plan we could see on a national level? -
Fact check: Some Obama health care stories flawed
One of President Barack Obama's health care "horror stories" is about a woman who, he says, lost her health insurance on the verge of breast cancer surgery because she didn't disclose a case of acne to the insurer. That's not what happened. -
In Massachusetts: A model many are watching
Massachusetts, which in 2006 mandated coverage for all, is an experiment in reform. -
Collin Peterson's Blue Dogs bark at 'public option'
The Minnesota Democrat and allies defy their party over health care. -
14-foot-tall vampire illustrates view of one physicians' group
''Count Bleed-ya-dry,'' representing insurers, and an Uncle Sam puppet didn't quite get their point across. -
"The time for games is passed"
About 17,000 people packing Target Center roared their approval again and again at a rally reminiscent of Obama's run-up to the presidency last year. Minneapolis was the first stop in what some regard as Obama's final and crucial push to make a deal with Congress. -
Photo gallery:
President Obama speaks at Target Center
The president came to Minneapolis to speak at what was billed as a "health care reform rally. " -
Pawlenty: 10th Amendment might let states sidestep health care changes
Gov. Tim Pawlenty has ratcheted up his criticism of President Obama's health care overhaul plan, invoking states' rights as a way to avoid implementing whatever might become law. -
Obama hopes his pitch will sway debate
President Barack Obama's leadership in the days ahead will determine whether his forceful health care address to Congress heralds the kind of sweeping change he promised while campaigning for the White House. -
Video: S.C. Rep. Wilson yells 'You lie' at Obama
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Poll:
What did you think of Obama's speech?
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Obama to speak at Target Center on Saturday
President Obama's appearance in the Twin Cities will be at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Target Center. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. for the free event. -
Poll:
What's the top priority?
What is most needed in the way of health care reform? -
Obama hopes his pitch will sway debate
President Barack Obama's leadership in the days ahead will determine whether his forceful health care address to Congress heralds the kind of sweeping change he promised while campaigning for the White House. -
Speech is at 7 p.m., but "pre-buttals" will come first
Activists of all stripes in the nation's bitter health care debate aren't even waiting for President Obama's prime time address to spin and weigh in on it. -
Obama to take firm position on health care plan in address
Aides say the president is ready to "draw some lines in the sand," while a Senate health care point man circulated a plan that would tax insurers. -
Health care: From sound and fury to the real fight
Fresh from sometimes-fierce debates, Congress is ready to decide the future of health care. -
Health care debate? Still fevered
Sentiments and opinions ran hot during a health care town hall hosted by Rep. Michele Bachmann in Lake Elmo. -
UNH seeks key role in health overhaul
Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group has been an active presence in the national debate on health care. -
Health insurers fighting overhaul plan with cash
An industry worried about a "public option'' is directing big donations to some state lawmakers. Some of the Minnesota delegation rank high in donations from an industry worried about reform. -
Doctors deeply divided over national health care reform
The American Medical Association is one powerful voice on the subject, but it's far from the only one. The AMA opposes President Obama's public insurance option, which he will try to push through Congress this year. But the AMA represents only 20 percent of physicians. -
Double jeopardy
For some who've lost their jobs, the lack of health insurance could cost them their lives. -
Cure for the health care crisis?
As the national health care debate intensifies, a little clinic in northeast Minneapolis may be pointing the way. -
Fear and Fury: What’s behind town hall tensions?
Listen to the people packing town halls on health care, and you'll hear earnest concern or outright rage. Many agree that the system is broken. But is this how to fix it? -
Obama promising to detail where he stands on health care
Senior administration officials said his speech to a joint session of Congress will satisfy demands for specifics. -
Worried, Obama shifts on health
The president makes his move on health care, with a national address to unveil a plan that seeks a middle ground, minus the contentious elements. -
Obama invokes grandmother's death in health debate
Now, it's personal. President Barack Obama invoked his own anguish over the death of a loved one as he challenged the debunked notion that Democratic efforts to overhaul the nation's health care would include "death panels." -
Obama denounces emphasis on health care protests
Trying to lower the temperature of the health care fight, President Barack Obama on Friday denounced news media emphasis on angry protesters at town hall meetings. -
Democrats getting an earful on health care during recess
As lawmakers return home from Washington, opponents and skeptics of overhauling the health care system are turning up the heat. -
The Children's Health Insurance Program legislation
On January 29, 2009, the U.S. Senate approved the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, better known as the State Children's Health Insurance Program or SCHIP. -
GOP pressuring Walz, Peterson on health care
Minnesota's Republican Party cranked up the pressure today on two of the state's Democratic congressmen as part of the GOP's broad attempt to derail the Obama administration's health care reform plan. -
Pawlenty pans Democrats' Rx for health care
In a letter to the state's congressional delegation, the governor urges giving up on the health legislation. -
No shortage of calls and e-mails to Minnesota's delegation in health care debate
The health care issue has moved constituents to voice their views, prompting the delegation to seek dialogue, not diatribe. -
Health care debate: How many actually uninsured?
It's a central goal of the president's plan: Extending health care coverage to the millions of Americans who lack it. Question is, just how many million are uninsured? -
Ridgedale Library hosts health care meeting
Usually silence is golden at this venue, but the town hall meeting there tonight is on a subject that may provoke a ruckus. -
Jam-packed crowds press Iowa Sen. Grassley on health care
Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican who is a key bargainer on health care reform, played to packed crowds across the state who left little doubt that they are not happy with what's on the table. -
Obama looks West, to the Web in health care fight
President Barack Obama is turning his eyes West and hitting the Web as he steps up his counteroffensive against critics of a proposed health care overhaul. -
Obama takes reins of health debate
President Obama launched a personal effort to reclaim the momentum for his health care initiative on Tuesday with a direct rebuttal of what he called "scare tactics," rumors and misrepresentations.
