ABC News: "Senior Congressional Democrats told ABC News today it is highly unlikely that a health care reform bill will be completed this year, just a week after President Barack Obama declared he was 'absolutely confident' he'll be able to sign one by then reports that senior Congressional Democrats said it's unlikely Obama will get a bill this year." Although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remains confident, "and her spokesman Brendan Daly said ... 'We are going to get our part done," the delay is evident in the Senate. "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has yet to release the bill he eventually plans to bring to the Senate floor. Reid is still waiting for the Congressional Budget Office to come up with an estimated cost of several possible variations of his bill before deciding which one to introduce in the Senate" (Karl, 11/3).
The Associated Press: "The possibility that Congress might not complete action on a major health care bill this year is another frustration for President Barack Obama and his allies. Even if it doesn't sink the health care effort, a delay would raise new uncertainties and push other domestic priorities further back" (Babington, 11/4).
The Wall Street Journal: But White House officials "minimized the prospect. Dan Pfeiffer, deputy communications director at the White House, said, 'Senator Reid has committed to the president that as soon as the Senate has the information back from the CBO they will move expeditiously to pass health reform'" (Adamy and Yoest, 11/4).
The Wall Street Journal reports in a second story that the Congressional Budget Office will not finish the cost estimate for the Senate bill by the end of the week (Yoest, 11/3).
At a news conference Tuesday, Reid said, "'We're not going to be bound by any timelines,' he said. 'We need to do the best job we can for the American people,'" The New York Times reports (Herszenhorn, 11/3).
Time: "Reid's comments were such a departure from the official line that, as soon as reports of them began appearing, his office issued a statement attempting to take the edge off of them. 'Our goals remain unchanged. We want to get health insurance reform done this year, and we have unprecedented momentum to achieve that,' Reid spokesman Jim Manley said. … Reid's decision to include a public option in the bill that he takes to the floor has also complicated matters" (Tumulty, 11/3).
USA Today: "House Democratic leaders, meanwhile, are angling to begin debate on their bill by the end of the week. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said floor action on a new bill released last week could begin as soon as Friday. Less than nine weeks are left until the end of the year ... and that includes holiday breaks scheduled for Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving" (Fritze, 11/3).