Democrats Round Out Team for Summit
Updated: 6:35 p.m.
The Democratic team for President Barack Obama’s Thursday bipartisan health care summit is set.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) announced Tuesday that the Democratic Members who would be joining her at the nationally televised event who did not receive a direct invitation from the White House include Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Xavier Becerra (Calif.), Rep. Jim Cooper (Tenn.), who is a senior member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, Rules Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (N.Y.), and Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Chairman Robert Andrews (N.J.).
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) invited Democratic Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer (N.Y.), Democratic Conference Secretary Patty Murray (Wash.), Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (N.D.), and Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.).
Already invited to the summit by the president were House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.), Majority Whip James Clyburn (S.C.), and chairmen of the three committees handling the bill: Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (N.Y.), Education and Labor Chairman George Miller (Calif.), and Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (Calif.). Energy and Commerce Chairman Emeritus John Dingell (Mich.) also will attend.
From the Senate, Obama formally invited Reid, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), Finance Chairman Max Baucus (Mont.), Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).
Appearing on behalf of the Obama administration will be Vice President Joseph Biden, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and chief health care adviser Nancy-Ann DeParle. The president plans to moderate.