Loss of health care champion creates more uncertainty in debate

WASHINGTON — The death of Sen. Edward Kennedy quickly became a rallying point Wednesday for Democratic advocates of a broad health-care overhaul, a signature Kennedy issue that had become mired in partisanship while he fought his illness away from the Capitol.

"The passion of his life was health-care reform," said Rep. David Obey, a liberal Wisconsin Democrat and chairman of the Appropriations Committee. "Above all else, he would want us to redouble our efforts to achieve it."

Yet, Democrats have serious internal differences on how to approach health care, and Republicans and Democrats remain deeply divided on the policy proposals — a gulf some say Kennedy was uniquely equipped to bridge.

Republicans seem unlikely to suddenly soften their firm opposition in the aftermath of Kennedy's death, and Democrats are expected to continue their push for substantial change, especially for a government-run insurance plan, which Kennedy endorsed.

Still, Democrats and others said the senator's death should provide at least a temporary respite from the angry denunciations that had flowed during the summer, putting Democrats on the defensive as they met with voters back home. One advocacy group opposed to the Democratic proposals, Conservatives for Patients' Rights, announced it was suspending its advertising out of respect to the senator and his family.

Some lawmakers used the moment to appeal for a new tone in the discussion of the volatile issue. "Let us stop the shouting and name calling and have a civilized debate on health-care reform which I hope, when legislation has been signed into law, will bear his name for his commitment to insuring the health of every American," Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., said in a statement on Kennedy's death.

Some, however, expressed little hope for a permanent cease-fire. "We'll pause out of respect for our fallen comrade, but nothing seems to have any effect on the partisanship," said Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, who recently switched parties and became a Democrat.

Whether the loss of the longtime champion of a health-care overhaul will alter the dynamic or the outcome of the fight substantially will be determined only when Congress returns in September. Kennedy's colleagues said they hoped his example would provide new inspiration.

"Maybe Teddy's passing will remind people once again that we are there to get a job done as he would do," said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., a close friend of Kennedy's who filled in for him as chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Republicans said they ultimately did not expect much change in the health debate.

"Democrats will rally, but they still have to come up with a bill that works," said one senior Republican official who did not want to be identified when talking about the delicate subject of how Kennedy's death would play out in the policy fight. Another top Republican said the fight already was somewhat on hold with President Obama on vacation and likely would "pick up right where we left off in a week or two."

Republicans also noted that Kennedy, though an ideological liberal, was a legislative pragmatist who worked with Republicans to strike compromises on difficult subjects such as health care, education and immigration. They said they saw little such reaching across the aisle in his absence. Several Republicans also said they believed Congress would be closer to a health deal than it is now if Kennedy had regularly been on hand in the Senate, working face-to-face with colleagues.

In a recent interview, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Kennedy was "the only Democrat who could really move all the Democrats' special interests into coming along" with a bipartisan approach. In Kennedy's absence, Hatch said, the Massachusetts senator's staff members had written a "one-sided, partisan bill," approved by the health committee July 15. But Democrats say Kennedy had been deeply involved in putting together the legislation, had been consulted regularly and had been elated when the health committee approved its measure.

"He felt confident that we were on track even though there is a lot of ranting and raving going on right now," Dodd said.

Howard Dean, a former presidential contender and national Democratic chairman, said it was "conjecture" to imagine how the course of the health debate might have changed had Kennedy lived. But, he said, "his death absolutely will stiffen the spine of the Democrats to get something this year for this extraordinary giant in Senate history."

Other Democrats and health-care advocates said they also viewed enacting health-care legislation as the best tribute they could pay to a man who had pursued accessible health coverage for every American for decades.

"Ted Kennedy's dream of quality health care for all Americans will be made real this year because of his leadership and his inspiration," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

New York Times reporter Robert Pear contributed to this report.