Waxman: Health Care Will Pass With Bipartisan Support

House Energy and Commerce Cmte Chair Henry Waxman (D-CA) said today that health care legislation is on track for a House vote before the Aug. recess, and he suggested that the measure will win some GOP votes.

"Health care is something that we've got to do this year, and we have a mandate to do it," Waxman said this a.m. during The National Journal's latest Power Breakfast. "That's one of the reasons the president was elected and the Democrats were elected, to accomplish this goal."

Atlantic Media pol. dir. Ron Brownstein described Waxman as the "man in the middle" of the toughest legislative battles on the Hill this cycle. Waxman seemed confident today in his abilities to push health care reform through his cmte, much as he did with a WH-backed energy package, which was narrowly approved by the House late last month by a 219-212 vote. But cost remains a looming issue. And Waxman said that CBO estimates of the plan in the works "are very difficult to pin down."

"Every time we make a minor change here or there CBO has to re-evaluate it," Waxman said. "... We're still waiting for our estimates."

Brownstein pressed Waxman to specify how much the gov't can spend over 10 years on health care. "I can't say that I have a target," the congressman said.

Estimates for draft bill will be issued 7/9, Waxman said, adding that he hopes to release the legislation 7/10 so the three cmtes involved can get to work.

"But CBO is a," he said, pausing, "I don't know what to say about it."

Waxman also said that neither the Obama admin. nor Congress is committed to the $80B deal reached last month by PhRMA with Senate Finance Cmte Chair Max Baucus (D-MT). The group had agreed to discount drugs for those seniors whose Medicare coverage falls short. Waxman said its "really a Senate agreement."

"The White House is not bound, they tell us they're not bound by that agreement," Waxman said. "We're certainly not bound by that agreement. The White House was involved, and we were not. There's one thing I want us to do. I want the drug companies to help us close that donut hole for seniors."

During Brownstein's lightning round of questions, Waxman said "yes" when asked if House GOPers would support health-care reform during the floor vote.

Turning to energy reform, which was approved with the backing of just eight GOP members, Waxman acknowledged that the Senate is "a hard place to pass legislation" but he said the country needs to lead the way globally on a clean energy plan. And he suggested that whatever compromises have to be made in crafting a bill that could get House and Senate approval, the "irreduceable core of the bill is that we get to reductions in carbon emissions."

"If we pass it into law this year, and I hope we will, ten years from now people will say, 'What was that fight all about?'" Waxman said of climate change legislation.

The Clean Air Act, Waxman noted, was ultimately approved almost unanimously by the time negotiations were finished.

Waxman expressed concern today about the budget woes facing his home state and indicated a willingness to allow the federal gov't to step in. He said that two institutional problems exist in the structure of gov't in CA -- term limits in the General Assembly (six years) and Senate (eight years) and passing a budget requires a two-thirds vote. The legislature, he said, is overly politicized because "everyone is looking for their next job."

"People in California are going to be suffering if we don't do something at the federal level," he added.

Meanwhile, Waxman, who fainted in his office late last week and was seen at a Los Angeles hospital, said he's feeling fine.

"I'm healthy," he said today, "and ready to go into health care reform."

And as if Waxman, serving his 18th term, isn't busy enough, he also has a new book on the shelves, co-written with The Atlantic's Josh Green. It's titled: "The Waxman Report: How Congress Really Works."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)