White House convenes meeting on patients' bill of rights

By CNN White House Correspondent Kelly Wallace

Washington (CNN) -- Before convening a White House meeting late Thursday morning with key senators pushing different versions of a patients' bill of rights, the Bush administration said it was hopeful that differences over the legislation can be resolved.

But some Democrats accused the White House of playing politics with the issue.

Thursday's meeting included nine senators, representing three different versions of bills providing protections to patients, with the main sticking point centered around a patient's right to sue.

Representing the administration were Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Bolten.

Neither the administration nor lawmakers expected any breakthrough Thursday.

"We are trying to faciliate a process that will result in a bill that the president and members of Congress can be proud of," a senior administration official. "The president is anxious to sign a patients' bill of rights."

But a top Democratic congressional aide said the meeting was nothing more than "politics by photo-op," charging the session is taking place on the eve of Senate debate on the main Democratic bill, pushed by Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, John Edwards, D-North Carolina, and John McCain, R-Arizona.

"We have been waiting more than 10 weeks to begin negotiations," said the aide.

During a meeting last week with Bolten, McCain suggested the White House convene a meeting with senators who are pushing different versions of a patients' bill of rights, the senior administration official said.

Sens. Kennedy, Edwards and McCain are co-sponsors of a bill that would allow patients to sue in state and in federal court, capping punitive damages at $5 million. On Wednesday, the bill received the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Charles Norwood, R-Georgia, who has been one of the biggest backers of a patients' bill of rights in the House of Representatives.

Sens. Bill Frist , R-Tennessee, John Breaux, D-Louisiana, and Jim Jeffords, the Vermont Independent, are pushing an alternative that the White House supports, which would cap pain and suffering damages at $500,000 in federal court.

Sens. Don Nickles, R-Oklahoma, Phil Gramm, R-Texas, and Bill Nelson, D-Florida, support tougher limits on a patient's right to sue.

Meanwhile, the White House says it is trying to resolve differences. President Bush is making it clear he would use his veto pen if the Kennedy, Edwards and McCain bill made its way to his desk in its current form.

Bush, during his trip to Europe, told reporters Wednesday that he "can't live" with the bill as it is currently stands.

"Can't living with the bill means it won't become law," the president said. "I support a patients' bill of rights. I just don't support one that will encourage lawsuits, that will hurt consumers and hurt people trying to find quality health care."

However, Kennedy is "absolutely confident" that if Bush is presented with a patients' bill of rights, he would sign it, according to a senior Democratic congressional aide.

The Senate is expected to begin debate on the issue next week.