June 8, 2009Business groups wary of first draft of health care bill
By John Fritze
USA TODAYBusiness groups reacted warily Sunday to the Senate's first stab at overhauling the nation's health care system, a rift that could complicate President Obama's goal of achieving bipartisan support for his top domestic priority.
Meanwhile, a key Republican in the health care debate said via Twitter on Sunday that he thought Obama had "nerve" to pressure Congress for quick action while he was traveling in Europe.
After weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations and friendly exchanges, debate over health care appeared to fall into familiar territory after a draft proposal by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee began circulating late last week.
"It's nice to have all these bipartisan meetings," said Julius Hobson, a Washington lobbyist for physicians and hospitals, "but when you get down to the actual writing, that's where it (can) start to fall apart."
