Area Lawmakers Give Stance on Health Care

By Jay Olstad

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MILWAUKEE - After more than a year of debate, it appears health care reform will come down to this week.

"We're just angry about the health insurance industry," said Brennan Balestrieri with the local chapter of moveon.org.

Both he and the other side took to the Milwaukee streets Saturday delivering thousands of petitions to Washington representatives and senators. They are petitions that are for and against the health care bill.

Balestrieri dropped off about 5,000 signatures from supporters of the health care bill to Representative Gwen Moore's Milwaukee office Monday.

Republican candidate for governor Mark Neumann did the same but with petitions from people opposing the current bill.

"People in the state of Wisconsin do not want this health care bill to pass," said Neumann.

But will it work?

Although none of them committed 100-percent, based on conversations Monday and in the past several weeks, all indications have Democrat Gwen Moore voting yes and Republicans Paul Ryan, Jim Sensenbrenner, and Tom Petri voting no.

"Congressman, is there any way you would support it," asked TODAY'S TMJ4 HD reporter Jay Olstad when talking with Petri.

"Not as it is coming forward," responded Petri.

Moore says she will be working through the night with the Budget Committee to recommend changes to the Senate bill.

"I will keep fighting for reform that gives families more choices and more control over their health care decisions," she said.

And if the Congress approves the bill this week, it will go to the Senate for a simple majority or reconciliation.

All indications have Senator Herb Kohl voting yes, but Senator Russ Feingold hasn't said one way or another.

"I've said all along that I would not allow the Senate bill to go through reconciliation because there's too much policy in it. But if you create a bill that is narrow and specific that's what reconciliation is for," said Feingold in February at one of his listening sessions.