Second-Term Victory on Health Care Unlikely for President Bush
President Bush, after a recent defeat on immigration legislation, likely will not obtain a "second-term domestic victory" on health care or other issues, the Washington Post reports.
During his second term, Bush "pushed through limits on class-action lawsuits" as part of his domestic policy agenda, but the "rest of his litigation program -- proposals to restrict medical malpractice awards and settle long-standing asbestos claims -- has been stalled for years," according to the Post.
Bush recently has "sketched out a new agenda in areas such as energy and health care, and he may yet make progress on those in the 18 months he has left," the Post reports.
However, according to the Post, Bush has moved into a "defensive crouch," and his "immediate domestic plans include ... trying to stop Congress from expanding" SCHIP (Baker, Washington Post, 6/29).