The Baucus Caucus: PhRMA, Insurance, Hospitals and Rahm

We started this whip count effort on June 23 because it became clear that in the course of making their deals with stakeholders, the Baucus Caucus (who were negotiating on behalf of the White House, with the participation of the White House) had very likely already dealt the public plan away.  

On May 11, "stakeholders" including the AMA, PhRMA, the hospitals and the device manufacturers delivered proposals to the White House promising to "voluntarily" reduce cost increases over the next 10 years.  In an effort to keep them "at the table," Baucus's Chief of Staff  Jon Selib and Finance Committee staffer Russell Sullivan told stakeholders at a May 20 meeting that their participation in the process of crafting a health care bill was contingent on them "holding their fire"...

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/08/the-baucus-caucus-phrma-insurance-hospitals-and-rahm/23577/