WASHINGTON — With divisions among congressional Democrats threatening to stall his healthcare overhaul, President Obama moved aggressively Monday to shore up support, meeting with senior Democratic lawmakers and labor leaders at the White House and stressing that it's time for action.
Today, the president travels to economically struggling Michigan, where he is expected to underscore the need to make medical care more affordable and available.
But events are pushing Obama to a crucial decision: when and how to plunge more directly into the specifics of the sensitive negotiations.
In particular, he is under mounting pressure to spell out where he stands on two of the most divisive questions confronting lawmakers: how to pay for an overhaul that will cost at least $1 trillion over the next 10 years, and whether it should include a new government-run insurance program as an alternative to private coverage.
Senior White House officials meet regularly with congressional Democrats and interest groups across the political spectrum, but the president has limited his role to that of cheerleader for a major overhaul -- a role he resumed Monday after returning from last week's overseas trip.
"I just want to put everybody on notice, because there was a lot of chatter during the week that I was gone: We are going to get this done," Obama said while introducing his choice as surgeon general, Dr. Regina M. Benjamin.
"Inaction is not an option," he said. "And for those naysayers and cynics who think that this is not going to happen, don't bet against us."
The president pressed senior House and Senate Democrats to complete work on their healthcare bills before their August break, according to Democratic aides.
"The coming weeks are . . . a critical time," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said.
The president's decision not to spell out what he wants can be frustrating for rank-and-file members of Congress, said Chris Jennings, a senior healthcare advisor in the Clinton administration who also worked on Capitol Hill for 10 years. "There is always pressure to get more involved." But Jennings and other veterans of past healthcare battles said choosing sides too early can be risky.
"The president can only be used so many times," said Harold M. Ickes, who was a senior aide to Clinton. "And they [the White House] have to be careful so that when he really lays down the law, or tries to break a deadlock on any particular issue, that it's done at the right time. Otherwise, he runs the risk of looking impotent."
