WASHINGTON — With Senate leaders navigating a tricky path to move healthcare legislation forward, Democrats on Tuesday received a blunt warning from the president who tried in vain to provide universal coverage 15 years ago -- and who suffered the political consequences of failure.
"The worst thing to do is nothing," said former President Clinton, whose unsuccessful healthcare plan contributed to his party losing control of Congress in 1994. "It's not important to be perfect here. It's important to act."
In a closed-door meeting, Clinton urged Senate Democrats to put aside their differences and pass healthcare legislation, just as the lawmakers were preparing to battle over the bill's cost, its abortion policy and the impact it could have on families struggling to buy insurance.
The former president's visit came just a week before party leaders hope to begin Senate floor debate on the sweeping healthcare overhaul. On Saturday, the House approved its version of legislation aimed at providing insurance to those who don't have it, as well as extending more consumer protections and controlling costs for all.
But there was rising concern that the goal of enacting an overhaul before the end of the year was slipping out of reach -- and delay would be risky at a time when voters increasingly seem more concerned about getting and keeping jobs than in remaking the insurance system.
"The clock is ticking," said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) after hearing from Clinton. "Getting it done this year will in effect clear the table for President Obama to focus on jobs."
The obstacles to quick action in the Senate loomed large as it became clear that the House bill displeased both liberal and conservative Democrats. Senate Democrats from conservative states, such as Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, oppose the bill's new government-run health insurance program. And many abortion-rights advocates, such as Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), are vehemently opposed to a House provision that imposes new restrictions on some women's access to insurance coverage for abortion.
Moving the bill through the Senate will be even more laborious than the process in the House, where party leaders have far more leverage over individual members. In the Senate, the party leadership has to win votes from 60 of the 100 members -- enough to circumvent a threatened GOP filibuster -- and has so little room to maneuver that every Democratic senator can wield tremendous influence.
