Senate Health Bill Still Has a Long Way to Go

The White House wouldn’t waver Monday from President Obama’s goal to enact health care by year’s end, despite some major hurdles the Senate health care reform bill will have to overcome before gaining full support.

In an attempt to gain support for the bill, the Department of Health and Human Services on Monday unveiled a new report touting the benefits it would allegedly bring to all 50 states, but even the department’s top officer predicted an intense fight.

“Probably over the next couple of weeks we’re going to see more misinformation, and lots more lobbyists hired to be up on Capitol Hill, trying to stop progress that has been made,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

But, perhaps the most effective lobbying of the week was done by Democratic Sen. Mary Landriau of Louisiana, who in exchange for her vote allowing debate to begin on the reform package, secured from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid an extra $300 million in Medicaid funding for her home state.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he hasn’t spoken to Obama about the deal between Landriau and Reid, but they are happy progress was being made.