White House Considers Drafting Its Own Health Reform Bill

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Published December 24, 2015

They say, if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself, and President Obama may be taking the saying to heart.

One of the hallmarks of Obama's push for universal health coverage and health insurance reform has been his political strategy of outlining broad goals for the legislation and leaving the details to lawmakers -- a contrast to President Clinton's more directive approach, which ended in failure when Congress rejected the legislation.

But on Friday, the Obama White House signaled that it may be time to intervene. Months of wrangling in Congress over several competing bills has yet to bring consensus on a final plan, and now the Obama administration is considering whether to put forward a health care bill of its own.

"The president has been reviewing all of the various legislative proposals, but no decision has been made about whether formal legislation will be presented," Linda Douglass, White House communications adviser on health care policy, told FOX News.

The news of a potential White House bill marked only the latest twist in the heated debate over an overhaul of the health care system.

Obama is preparing to make his biggest pitch yet on Wednesday, when he addresses a joint session of Congress on the issue.

Meanwhile, one of the key negotiators in the Senate said Friday that he expected a bill "soon" after working with members of both parties on a bipartisan compromise.

Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., held a nearly two-hour teleconference with his small group of negotiators, who call themselves the "Bipartisan Six." Afterward, Baucus was careful to leave the door open to a long-sought deal, but he clearly signaled the time has come for him to move ahead.

"I am committed to getting health care reform done -- done soon and done right," Baucus said in a statement. He is considering making a formal proposal to the group of negotiators.

Republicans have complained that the Democrats' plan would be too costly and would amount to a government takeover of the health care system.

House liberals, on the other hand, pleaded with Obama on Friday to push for creation of a government-run health care program, fearing the president is too eager to compromise with Republicans and conservative Democrats to get a bill.

In a phone call from the Camp David, Md., presidential retreat, Obama spoke to leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and other liberal-leaning House groups. Caucus leader Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., said the lawmakers expressed their commitment to creation of a government-run plan to compete with private health insurers. On Thursday, they sent Obama a letter saying they could not support a health bill that lacked such a so-called "public option."

FOX News' Carl Cameron and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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