So where does the health care reform bill stand at this time? It’s difficult to understand where it is.
I thought the House was poised to vote on Senate bill (HR3590) which was passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve. See full text here. I believe the bill consists entirely of amendments. But while we are waiting to see if they have the votes to do this, there’s another process taking place. They are writing a Reconciliation bill and may attach the Senate bill to it, so there is never a vote per se on the Senate bill. Confusing? Yep.
So what is going to be in the Reconciliation Bill? That’s a good question. And who is in on the construction of this new bill? Rahm Emanuel is in on it, for one, the democrats for sure, but are there any republicans in the room?
OR will they do what I thought would happen: If they could get the votes on the Senate bill with no changes, it would go directly to the president and he would sign it into law. Bam. We’d have health care reform. Then, maybe, a Reconciliation bill would be written to make changes demanded.
Interesting side note is that one idea being talked about is including changes in the way student loans work within the health care reform bill. They are going to stuff it with God knows what. What do student loans have to do with health care? What is meant by the health care reform bill? Is it the Senate bill, is it the Reconciliation bill, is it the Senate bill attached to the Reconciliation bill? God knows. Seems like too much monkey business to me.
I heard that Nancy Pelosi said we need to pass the bill so we can find out what’s in it. I guess truer words have not been spoken. Because nobody who votes on it will know exactly what’s in the bill. Makes you crazy.
Just thought of something funny, imagine attaching over 2000 pages to another some 2000 pages. This is our government at work.
Take a couple aspirin and read this Politico piece explaining the “dizzying array of options”. 🙂
Obamacare: Bringing to health care the inefficiency of the post office and the compassion of the IRS.
Posted: 03.10.10
