White House urges GOP unity on drug bill

The White House and House Republican leaders yesterday tried to stem a revolt by conservative Republicans who are unhappy with the massive Medicare prescription drug bill and are planning to vote against it today.

President Bush, fearing that enough Republicans could join the Democrats to defeat the House bill, presided over a meeting with about a dozen conservatives at the White House yesterday afternoon. House Republican leaders, meanwhile, tried to resolve various concerns raised by party members, including conservatives who feel the bill is a costly entitlement and does not adequately reform Medicare.

But the entreaties by the White House have fallen short for at least some conservatives, who plan to vote against the bill when it comes to the House floor today.

“I’m having a hard time accepting the universal drug benefit — the creation of a new federal entitlement,” said Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana Republican, who was at the meeting yesterday, but who still plans to vote against the measure.

Those at the meeting included Mr. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Illinois Republican. Conservatives asked for more time to review the House bill but that request was denied, said Rep. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican.

Mr. DeMint said the meeting was “positive,” but that the bill just doesn’t reform the Medicare program enough, and makes it worse by taking on a costly new drug entitlement. “I can’t add another entitlement to Medicare, risk bankrupting Medicare without adding some of these major reforms,” he said, adding that he would vote against it.

A House Republican aide said there is a “substantial number” of Republicans planning to vote against the bill.

“We’re concerned enough to talk to them a lot; I don’t think there’s any panic,” John Feehery, a spokesman for Mr. Hastert, said yesterday.

Mr. Pence would not speculate on how many Republicans would vote no, saying that some members seemed to be swayed by the White House meeting. And Mr. DeMint predicted that the bill would pass the House because the House Republican leadership will “get enough votes on the Democrat side to offset what they’ll lose on the Republican side.”

The president has asked both chambers to pass a bill before the Fourth of July recess. The Senate has been debating its bill all week, turning back numerous Democratic amendments. The Senate also aims to vote on its bill before the recess, perhaps even today.

“We have an historic opportunity to seize the moment and get a good bill done,” Mr. Bush said yesterday morning after a meeting with congressional Democrats and Republicans.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin, who crafted the House bill, warned unhappy conservatives yesterday that if they try to block the $400 billion bill, they are giving up their best shot at reforming Medicare and risk allowing Democrats to create a trillion-dollar program down the road.

“Just say no to this chance. That’s my answer to them,” said Mr. Tauzin of Louisiana. “The Democrats will pass it, and it will be a total government program that will cost a trillion.”

“Vote for something bad or it’s going to get worse? I’m not buying it,” said Mr. DeMint, who said that many Republicans hadn’t even seen the final version of the bill by midday yesterday and feel like they’re being “rushed” into voting for it before July 4.

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