Dodd on Health Care Bill: Let’s Take a Breather

By Janet Adamy and Patrick Yoest

Is there a hiatus in store for the health overhaul?

Senate Banking Chairman Christopher Dodd, an architect of the Senate bill, today threw out the idea of taking “a breather for a month, six weeks” so Congress can regroup after Senate Democrats lost their filibuster-proof majority in Tuesday’s Massachusetts election.

In a speech in Ohio today, President Barack Obama sent a bullish message about the health care overhaul, signaling he intends to press ahead. “I am not going to walk away just because it’s hard,” he said, “We’re going to keep on working to get this done with Democrats, Republicans – anyone who is willing to step up.”

But talk of stepping back from the issue – be it for just a few days or weeks – was swirling on Capitol Hill as the jarring week for Democrats came to a close.

Some health policy insiders expect lawmakers to unveil a Plan B after the president’s Jan. 27 State of the Union address. Many Democrats are nervous that if they don’t move quickly, they’ll lose whatever momentum they have left to pass some type of bill. They’re also facing heavy pressure from consumer groups, which are urging Congress not to pause.

But some top Democrats say lawmakers need time to clear their heads before they decide on anything. One of the biggest risks to going forward with the overhaul is that it takes time and energy away from focusing on job creation, an issue that’s proven a higher priority for voters.

“We have to find this way forward, and we’re probably better going to do that in a calmer environment than deciding to either jam something down people’s throats, which the public would react negatively to, or throwing up our hands and just deciding that we’re not going to do anything,” Dodd said.