Ideas So Awesome, They Had To Be Released On A Friday

To almost no fanfare, Roy Blunt published a list of nine bills Friday he supports in the health care reform debate. From an initial review, the legislation looks like a low-risk batch of proposals to allow for more individuals and companies to purchase private insurance. 

He's sponsored just one of them -- a proposal to allow dependents to stay on their parents' health care plans until age 25 -- and his accompanying press release clarifies his exaggerated statements from last week about having sponsored "a double handful of individual bills."

Notably absent are any substantive ideas to stop the unsustainable growth in health care costs.  Blunt did cosponsor a bill to cap damages in medical malpractice cases -- but major changes to malpractice laws would only reduce national health care spending by half a percent.

Meanwhile, GOP Leader John Boehner said that Republicans will finally present their full plan this week. "By the end of this week, people will be able to look at one proposal" that provides transparent cost figures and clearly states the number of people to be covered, Boehner has promised.

Blunt's list of other legislators' bills he's finally decided to support is here.

h/t Steve Kraske