Republicans Back Off Plan to Privatize Medicare

House Republicans are backing off their controversial plan to privatize Medicare, for now. The Congressman who would have been in charge of translating the policy proposal into a law has said that he has no plans to write a bill.

The lawmaker, Representative Dave Camp, Republican of Michigan and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said that while he still supports the party’s Medicare approach, opposition from Democrats made it pointless to proceed.

“I’m not interested in talking about whether the House is going to pass a bill that the Senate shows no interest in,” Mr. Camp said in an appearance at the National Press Club. “I’m not interested in laying down more markers. I am interested in solutions.” [NYT]

That’s interesting. The House Republicans bothered to write and unanimously pass H.R. 3, the tax penalties for people who buy private abortion coverage with their own money act–even though the Senate has shown little interest in that legislation.

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