Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

WASHINGTON, DC - We're no closer to health care reform after Thursday's summit failed to bring Republicans and Democrats any closer to a compromise. The question now is what's going to happen now.

President Obama is pledging to move ahead with health care reform with or without Republican support. He wrapped up Thursday's roughly seven hour summit with one last plea for both sides to come together, but that doesn't seem likely.

The President refused to scrap the trillion dollar measure despite continued GOP demands to start from scratch. Several Republicans even hauled the massive bill to the table, saying it's too much too soon.

"When we do (a) prop like this, stack it up, and you repeat 2,400 pages, et cetera...these are the kinds of political things we do from preventing us from having a conversation."

Both parties did manage to agree on a few issues including keeping the bill deficit neutral and expanding coverage to those with pre-existing conditions. Still, differences dominated the meeting.

"We don't think the government should be in control of all of this" Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) said. "We want people to be in control and that at the end of the day is the big difference."

Democrats admit the two sides may never come to an agreement but they say giving up just isn't an option.

"Americans have waited five decades for this. It's time to do something and we're going to do it" commented Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Liberals could still ram a Democratic-only plan through Congress with a simple majority vote. But with wavering support even in their own party, rounding up enough votes could be a whole other battle.

Montana Senator Max Baucus took part in Thursday's summit and released the following statement: "The summit was productive. It was good to be in the room with the President and my colleagues; and to discuss the facts on health care reform. As I've said from the very beginning, we are focused on three things -- lowering health care costs, for everyone, improving health care quality and ensuring every Montanan has access to quality, affordable health care. It's clear that there are many things we all agree on, and now that we are closer than ever, it's absolutely clear that we've got to get health reform done."