Sen. Edward Kennedy Works To Craft Bipartisan Legislation That Would Provide All U.S. Residents With Affordable Health Coverage

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has "secretly been orchestrating" and overseeing meetings with members of both parties to draft health care legislation to present to the new president and Congress next year that would extend health insurance to all U.S. residents, the Washington Times reports. The "wide-ranging talks," which Kennedy has monitored through telephone updates from his staff, have included 14 roundtable meetings attended by Kennedy aides and staffers for both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate Budget Committee, Senate Finance Committee and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, chaired by Kennedy. The talks also were attended by representatives from a "panoply of interests groups with stakes in the cost and availability of health coverage," including the AFL-CIO, Business Roundtable, National Federation of Independent Business, the National Retail Federation, Federation of American Hospitals, the American Medical Association, America's Health Insurance Plans, Families USA, AARP and Consumers Union, according to the Times. In addition, Kennedy aides have started meeting regularly with consumers and small groups of people representing each area of the health care industry.

The Times reports that the conversations, which started in June, are "extraordinary" because they are bipartisan and have "managed to put in the same room interests that rarely meet -- let alone agree with one another." Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said, "There is a serious process moving forward and that augurs well," adding, "There really is a sea change that should not be underestimated in terms of attitude." A spokesperson for Sen. Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), ranking member of the Senate HELP Committee and a participant in the meetings, said the discussions "are a testament to how people feel about [Kennedy]." Kennedy is "really seizing the moment," Adrienne Hahn of Consumers Union said, "He's a real bridge-builder. He can bring strange bedfellows together." The Times reports that participants believe Kennedy's active role in the talks has "increased the likelihood of a break through."

Prospects
Kennedy hopes to introduce a bill as early as possible in the next congressional session. Kennedy aides have said they have not yet drafted legislation but likely will do so soon. Aides say Kennedy's close ties to Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) "could prove a boon to those prospects," the Times reports. The aides said that they are not working with the Obama campaign on the proposal, but that the ideas are not ones to which Obama would object. According to the Times, an Obama aide attended many of the early meetings arranged by Kennedy, but no aides to Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) did.

The Times reports that Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) also may propose health care reform legislation, although a Baucus aide said he plans to work closely with Kennedy (Birnbaum, Washington Times, 10/24).