Rep. Levin: Political Tide ‘Turning’ on Health Care; ‘Chagrined’ by Threats Against Colleagues

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: The coming two-week congressional break was long dreaded by Democratic leaders, who feared the political fallout of having members go back home without a health care law to tout. That’s not a worry any longer. Perceptions have turned so much that Democrats are now eager to head home and talk about the impact of the new law, House Ways and Means Chairman Sandy Levin said today. Levin, D-Mich., said on ABC’s “Top Line” that Democrats are looking forward to defending and explaining the health care reforms they enacted. “I think the health bill will be very much part of the debate, and we’re very happy to go — we’re anxious to go home and talk to our constituents about it,” Levin said. “But clearly jobs is a major, major issue as well, and we have to address the jobs issue.” “I’ve been talking to a lot of my colleagues who are in very marginal seats, I think five, six, seven weeks ago they would have been worried about going home, wondering whether or not they were going home to immense unpopularity of an issue,” Levin added. “I think they now feel that they stood up, the vast majority of them, to their credit. This is a bill that has so many positives. I go home and the people tell me about preexisting conditions, they can’t get insurance. I go home and people say to me that the costs are going out of control, and they are going to lose their insurance. This bill address costs, it addresses also preexisting conditions, it assists people who are uninsured.” “So now there’s a feeling we can go back home, be proud of what we have done, understand there’s more to be done to implement it, but I think there had been a turning,” Levin said. “What helps most of all are the facts in the bill, and so we’re going to go home and talk about the facts. And I think that the more we talk about the facts and not some of this overblown rhetoric, the more people will understand this is a positive step. It’s in the best traditions of our country.” Levin said Congress’ focus will turn more toward jobs in the coming weeks, including guarantees of unemployment insurance, extending a tax credit for first-time home buyers, and new protections to keep homeowners in their houses. Levin also said he’s “chagrined” by the threats of violence directed at some of his colleagues and called on Republican leaders “to send a clear message” that such behavior is not acceptable. “We need to have an honest, open, forceful discussion on these issues in this country. But the kind of violence that has been reported is really very, very worrisome,” he said. “And I hope all of us in this place will join together and say to our constituents and say to all Americans let’s debate, let’s debate vigorously. Let’s not threaten each other — it’s very worrisome.” And he declined to say how long he expects to continue serving as chairman. Levin was named the post when Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., stepped aside amid a flurry of ethics committee inquiries. “The matter’s before the ethics committee, and we’ll let the process run. Mr. Rangel wants that to happen and the sooner they can complete their work the better, he’s made that clear. We don’t know exactly where they are because it’s a process that is insulated from political pressures,” Levin said. Watch the interview with Rep. Sandy Levin HERE.

We also checked in with Politico’s Jonathan Martin on the political fallout of health care, the dangers of overheated rhetoric on both sides, plus Democrats’ anger at some of their own members who turned against the bill. Watch the segment with Jonathan Martin HERE.