Senate Feels Ted Kennedy’s Absence on Health Bill

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN New York Times June 9, 2009 WASHINGTON — The run-up to major health care legislation is now a full-on frenzy, and some of the main power players were in yet another marathon meeting on Monday afternoon in the not-so-secret hideaway office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. But Mr. Kennedy, the Democratic chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, who has been closely identified with the issue of health care over his nearly 47 years in the Senate, was back home in Massachusetts, where he is still being treated for brain cancer. Though Mr. Kennedy continues to work closely on the unfolding legislation and is in constant touch with staff members and colleagues, he is not expected to return to the Capitol as formal debate begins this month, either for committee hearings or when the legislation moves to the Senate floor. “I think we would all like to see Senator Kennedy here for many, many reasons,” said Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island and a member of the health committee. “But we are going to move forward.” Mr. Kennedy’s close friend, Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, who is the No. 2 Democrat on the health committee, has taken on the main role. He is supported by the leaders of three health care “working groups” that Mr. Kennedy created in November, which is when he tapped Mr. Dodd to be his “chief deputy.” Mr. Dodd met with Mr. Kennedy about the health legislation and had dinner at his home on Sunday. Mr. Kennedy is also in touch by phone with President Obama. Mr. Dodd, in a conference call with reporters, said he was holding out hope for Mr. Kennedy’s return. “My hope is he’ll be back at any, any one of these days,” he said. “There is also a spirit he brings to, a dynamic that is hard to quantify,” Mr. Dodd said. “And so, he’ll be missed when he’s not there. But my hope is that he will be back as frequently as he can to play that role.” Mr. Kennedy’s absence has raised alarm among Democrats and Republicans who say that his gravitas and the force of his personality, particularly his ability to usher colleagues past minor disputes in pursuit of larger goals, will be missed as the debate heats up. “He is the only guy who can bring us together, temper the demands of liberal advocacy groups and steer people toward a pragmatic solution,” said Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, who is a member of both the health committee and the Finance Committee and is a longtime collaborator with Mr. Kennedy on health legislation. A draft of a bill by Mr. Kennedy began circulating late last week, including provisions that would guarantee health coverage for all Americans and would penalize employers who do not help provide insurance. Republicans say such a guarantee is unaffordable. As critics began to level sharp criticism of the proposal on Monday, Mr. Kennedy was not on hand to rebut it. A spokesman for Mr. Kennedy, Anthony Coley, said in an interview that the senator is “doing well and balancing his work on health care reform with his treatment plan.” In a statement, Mr. Coley said that universal health coverage for Americans is the “cause of his life” and that “he continues to lead.” He added, “That doesn’t depend on location.” The majority leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, had raised hopes that Mr. Kennedy would return for the health care debate, telling reporters last month that both Mr. Kennedy and Senator Robert C. Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia, who at age 91 is the oldest senator, were recovering from illnesses. But neither man has been able to return, and Mr. Byrd’s staff said Monday that he remained hospitalized for treatment of an infection.