Just returned from a small breakfast the Maria Leavey Memorial series put on with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. This much, I think, was clear: Pelosi is focused on energy legislation She named energy policy as this Congress's "flagship" priority. Cap and trade, she promised, would come to the floor this year, in a bill that she hoped would include not only carbon pricing but heavy investment in renewables and a reform of the energy grid. "I'd like to see it as one bill," she said. "That would show the integrity of it: How each piece relates to the other."There was less evident interest in health care reform. Pelosi pointedly did not say that a bill would pass this year. "Cap and trade," she predicted, "will be out of committee by May. Health care is bigger ticket." Asked about the lessons Congress has learned from 1994, she gave a long answer that said rather more about the way she thinks about health care than her strategy for passing it. "It's a whole different world that we live in," she replied. "There's no question that the urgency of health care is felt very strongly by the American people. But the appeal that we will have with this is not to say that 46 or 48 million people don't have health care. That's important to us -- and to those 46 million -- but what's important to the population is their health care." This echoes comments that administration officials have made to me: 95 percent of Obama's voters had health coverage. The margin isn't likely to be different for congressional candidates. The Democratic Party relies on the favor of insured voters, and it doesn't mean to forget that.Pelosi echoes the Orszag analysis tracing the connections between health care and entitlement spending. "The biggest issue for our budget and for entitlements is that health care increases faster than any other cost," she agreed. "Health care reform is entitlement reform. This is central to our economy."She also emphasized the need for universal coverage. "Everyone's health care is better if everyone has health care. And that has to be our guiding principle. The wealthiest person in America's health care is better if the poorest person has health coverage."She admitted that her answer "didn't define how health care is paid for. That's what the President is putting forward." But that's only half true. The budget outline puts up $634 billion in financing over 10 years. That's around half the total that experts expect the bill will need. Congress will have to come up with the rest.Pelosi was clear on another facet of Obama's role, however. "Outside mobilization, whether grassroots or message is what produces the positive results here." Working the Congress became much easier, she said, when Obama began working the country. She brought this up in context of health care, energy, and general Republican opposition. "It's not about persuading Republicans in Congress. It's about persuading their constituents." The full transcript will soon appear here. BREAKFAST AT PELOSI'S.
Just returned from a small breakfast the Maria Leavey Memorial series put on with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. This much, I think, was clear: Pelosi is focused on energy legislation She named energy policy as this Congress's "flagship" priority. Cap and trade, she promised, would come to the floor this year, in a bill that she hoped would include not only carbon pricing but heavy investment in renewables and a reform of the energy grid. "I'd like to see it as one bill," she said. "That would show the integrity of it: How each piece relates to the other."There was less evident interest in health care reform. Pelosi pointedly did not say that a bill would pass this year. "Cap and trade," she predicted, "will be out of committee by May. Health care is bigger ticket." Asked about the lessons Congress has learned from 1994, she gave a long answer that said rather more about the way she thinks about health care than her strategy for passing it. "It's a whole different world that we live in," she replied. "There's no question that the urgency of health care is felt very strongly by the American people. But the appeal that we will have with this is not to say that 46 or 48 million people don't have health care. That's important to us -- and to those 46 million -- but what's important to the population is their health care." This echoes comments that administration officials have made to me: 95 percent of Obama's voters had health coverage. The margin isn't likely to be different for congressional candidates. The Democratic Party relies on the favor of insured voters, and it doesn't mean to forget that.Pelosi echoes the Orszag analysis tracing the connections between health care and entitlement spending. "The biggest issue for our budget and for entitlements is that health care increases faster than any other cost," she agreed. "Health care reform is entitlement reform. This is central to our economy."She also emphasized the need for universal coverage. "Everyone's health care is better if everyone has health care. And that has to be our guiding principle. The wealthiest person in America's health care is better if the poorest person has health coverage."She admitted that her answer "didn't define how health care is paid for. That's what the President is putting forward." But that's only half true. The budget outline puts up $634 billion in financing over 10 years. That's around half the total that experts expect the bill will need. Congress will have to come up with the rest.Pelosi was clear on another facet of Obama's role, however. "Outside mobilization, whether grassroots or message is what produces the positive results here." Working the Congress became much easier, she said, when Obama began working the country. She brought this up in context of health care, energy, and general Republican opposition. "It's not about persuading Republicans in Congress. It's about persuading their constituents." The full transcript will soon appear here. 
