Reid Files Health Bill Motion 

WASHINGTON BUREAU -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid may be preparing to introduce the Senate’s main health bill Monday.

The Congressional Budget Office is still calculating the cost of the Senate bill, and Reid has delayed unveiling the bill until the CBO “score” is in.

But Reid now has filed a motion that would permit him to introduce the bill Monday. If Reid makes that deadline, the Senate could vote on motion to proceed with consideration of the bill Tuesday.

Senate Democrats want to limit the cost of their health bill to $900 billion over a 10-year period.

The CBO estimates that H.R. 3962, the health bill that the House passed Saturday, would cost $1.2 trillion over 10 years.

In related news, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., today said the House could stay in session nearly up until Christmas Eve, if necessary, to vote for final passage of a health bill and give President Obama a victory.

Reid is likely to get the 60 votes he needs to proceed with floor action Tuesday, but Republicans probably will force a vote on the motion to proceed, according to Ira Loss, an analyst at Washington Analysis, Washington.

Floor debate and amendments to the bill would follow.

A vote on “cloture” – a measure that would keep Republican opponents or other opponents of the bill from stalling passage with endless rounds of debate – would be unlikely to occur for several weeks, Loss says.

Reid probably will introduce a bill that includes a public health plan provision along with a provision letting states opt out of the public option, Loss says.

But that version of the bill is unlikely to garner the 60 votes needed for passage, and that means supporters of the bill probably will delete the public option provision to win additional support, Loss says.

The bill already contains language creating state-based cooperatives, Loss says.

Washington Analysis doubts Congress will complete work on a health bill this year. Finally action is unlikely to occur until sometime in the first quarter of 2010, Loss says.

• • 11/11/2009 4:45:55 PM
  • Jim
  • Health Care Bill
  • I don't understand what the rush is. Seems the Dems are more interested in passing something, anything rather then making it good and doing what the voters want. Good luck with getting re-elected in 2010.
• • 11/11/2009 6:34:02 PM
  • richard taffs
  • health bill
  • your report does not go into details on the method the congress uses to get Dirty leg. passed and still give cover to the legislators for passing a dirty law ie CONFERENCE COMMITTEE then 50% passage. I VOTED FOR AND THEN I VOTED AGAINST IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
• • 11/11/2009 9:16:02 PM
  • Lindy Basconcillo, MA, CLU, ChFC, CASL
  • Health Reform
  • The entire cogress has screwed around long enough on this most important of reforms. Now the Senate and the obstructionists want to stall again all in the name of costs, allleged government takeover of personal freedoms, etc. Let's stop catering to the insurance carriers who profited on the backs of working people. It's time that real restrictions like the removal of exemptions from the McCarren-Furgeson (not sure of spelling!). If insurance carriers really wanted to enact reforms, they would have done so by now. They need to be "forced" into doing so and that is the job of the government to do so. Who else will and can strongly encourage insurance carriers? Government by the people and for the people is the only real answer. Don't like the public option? How about voluntarily giving up your claim to Social Security Benefits and Medicare! Those are necessary "socialist" concepts in action. Opponents of the public option---put your money where your mouth is!!! Stop being hypocrtes and fear mongerers. Let's do what is right! Oh, to the Congress people who are gutless, resign!
• • 11/11/2009 10:25:10 PM
  • MileHigh
  • Health Care Reform
  • In fairness to every legal citizen of this great country this farce should be abandoned immediately. Begin with a new plan where every legal citizen has the same coverage. This means the private sector, cities, counties,states, federal government, and also the military. Introduce a simple form designed by a sane person to rid the system of the current massive waste, and duplication of useless forms that only drive up the cost of health care.
• • 11/12/2009 12:46:25 AM
  • Gary Myron Greer
  • Health Care
  • We need to keep the Gov out of heath care
• • 11/12/2009 10:52:41 AM
  • Don Leimkuehler
  • Healthcare Bill
  • Why can't the democrats like Senator Reid slow down and get healthcare reform right the first time. All the democrats want to do is push a bill through to make our President and the Democrats look good. Unfortunately, i'ts not making them look good. In fact more people especially business people don't want government intervention and government run health insurance. It doesn't have to be done this year. Small business and the middle income are taxed enough without more taxes being put on their shoulders. They need to stop and relook along with the Republicans at a program that will help but not hurt the people. It's time the people vote some of our leadership out and put more responsible people in Washington. I want someone that listens and will represent me in Washington and not the special interest groups or something for their own financial gain. We also need term limits and Tort reform. It's time the people take their nation back.
• • 11/12/2009 5:02:43 PM
  • Helen Brday
  • health care reform
  • I can not understand why we (the working public) can't have the same coverage as our Senators and Rep. No one wants to talk about what they have. Maybe if we had the opportunity to have their coverage or they have to take our options, this would get the reform resolved quickly. I have been there with no insurance for 3 years. Now I am on medicare and am thankful each time I visit the doctor. I am paying almost $300 a month for this benefit. Medicare has worked for years, why can't that type of program work for those who need coverage now.
• • 11/12/2009 5:26:49 PM
  • Tim O'Regan
  • Looming Disaster
  • The current House Bill was conceived in secrecy; lobbyists representing everything but the commonweal have been all over our Congressmen/women "like a cheap suit" and the Democrats have demonstrated little--if any--openness to input from the Republicans or indeed from the American people. The insurers, while not blameless, are better than the arbitrary and peremptory hand of FEDERAL control. Scrap the current bill. Begin again in the light of day, hold PUBLIC hearings and let the people speak.

Archived Issues

• Panel Advances Reconciliation Bill
• AHIP President Hopes That’s Light In The Tunnel
• AHIP TV Ad: Take A Broader Look
• Mintel: Social Media Still Niche Tools
• Moody's: Life Insurers Are Prepared For Hard Times
• Lawmakers Debate What Parliamentarian Said
• Senate Bill Extends COBRA Benefits, Pension Funding Relief