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As Democrats approach a deal for passing the health bill, Republicans are saying that getting the bill past the Senate is not a given, Peter Landers reports on the News Hub.

More here:  News Hub: Republicans Plan to Skewer Health Bill/a>

The President’s final push on health care reform may be creating a big rift with Democrats in Congress, Fox News’ Doug Luzader reports. Courtesy of Fox News.

Excerpt from:  White House Pushes for Passing of Health Bill/a>

Yesterday’s health summit produced seven hours of televised history but little evidence of movement toward a health-care overhaul. No surprise there, but the dividing lines between Democrats and Republicans are clearer now and there could be a silver lining in that.

The big gulfs come down to three basic philosophical disagreements, the WSJ’s Capital Journal column says this morning:

Well, there was no breakthrough of understanding between Democrats and Republicans over health care at today’s summit, but there were areas of agreement on some issues. Of course even where there were shared goals, there was division over how to achieve them.

But the aim of the summit was to find shared ground, so here are some small patches of agreement during the session:

This post by WSJ’s John D. McKinnon also appears on the Washington Wire blog.

Is the budget-reconciliation loophole being stretched too far by the current Democratic health-care legislation?

Maybe. But it’s only the latest chapter in a long-running narrative that both parties have taken part in.

After losing their filibuster-proof 60-vote Senate majority in January, Democrats began planning to move much of their health-care revamp using budget procedures that require only 51 votes –- a simple majority –- in the Senate.

Billy Tauzin — the former Louisiana congressman who stuck with the homespun phrases even as he pulled down $2 million a year to represent the drug industry in DC — is stepping down as the head of PhRMA, the big trade group.

The WSJ notes that he was criticized “for his support of the White House’s now-teetering plan to overhaul health care.”

Alan Miller, chief executive of Universal Health Services, says tort reform and increased competition among insurance providers could help fix health care and explains why the Democrats’ plan tries to tackle too much too soon.

More here: Fixing Health Care/a>

The future of the Dems’ big health-care bill looks murky, but there’s another big Washington plan that could have profound effects on health care: The idea of creating a bipartisan commission to cut the budget deficit is gaining ground.

The morning papers are full of speculation about what the Democrats will do with their health-care bill if Scott Brown, a Republican, wins the senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy. Massachusetts is holding a special election for the seat today; if Brown defeats Martha Coakley, a Democrat, the Dems will lose their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

WSJ’s Jerry Seib debates whether Democrats will ultimately conclude it’s better politically to pass a controversial and divisive piece of legislation than to pass nothing at all.

Originally posted here: Is a Flawed Health Bill Better Than None?/a>