The Hill reports Health reform in jeopardy as House delays action:

House Democrats will not unveil their full healthcare reform package on Friday nor begin committee work on the bill next week as planned, the latest sign that President Obama’s signature domestic initiative is in trouble.

The delay caps off a rocky week for Democrats and puts Obama’s goal of having both chambers pass a bill by the August recess increasingly at risk.

In spite of the disorder among congressional Democrats, Obama said his goals and timeline remain doable.

“There are going to be some tough negotiations in the days and weeks to come, but I’m confident that we’re going to get it done,” Obama said during a news conference in Italy Friday.

Nevertheless, Obama acknowledged his August deadline could slip. “I never believe anything is do-or-die but I really want to get it done by the August recess,” he said.

“We’re closer to that significant reform than at any time in recent history. That doesn’t make it easy. It’s hard.”

In the House, objections aired by centrist Democrats late Thursday sent the leadership and three committee chairmen drafting the legislation back to the drawing board. This comes three weeks before the July 31 deadline set by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to deliver a bill.

In a letter and during an evening meeting, members of the centrist Blue Dog Democrats coalition said they could not support the draft legislation headed to markup because of concerns over spending, the creation of a government-run health insurance program and other issues.

House Democrats also wrangled with the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), seeking more favorable savings estimates from elements of healthcare reform, such as increasing the use of preventive medicine.

As a result, House Democrats canceled a CBO briefing of lawmakers on key committees, scrapped plans to formally announce a package of budget cuts and tax increases to cover the $1 trillion-plus cost of their previously released healthcare reform proposals, and postponed markups in three committees slated for Monday.

Senate Democrats are no closer to floor action than their House counterparts.

Now is the time to really turn up the heat.

Michelle Malkin on the health care tax-apalooza. Thank God for the House Blue Dogs and their memo to the leadership. See House Blue Dog Dems Rebel On Health Bill and Moore Joins Other Democrats In House Health Care Rebellion. The later contains a link to the memo.

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