Barack Obama’s healthcare reform, the signature policy of his presidency, looks likely to clear its most formidable obstacle by Christmas.
Within the next few days, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office will give its fiscal “scoring” of the compromise reached on Tuesday between five moderate and five liberal Democratic senators.
If the CBO were to pronounce the package at least deficit-neutral – a big if, given the body’s Jesuitical approach to bud get accounting – the way would probably be cleared for a rapid vote in the Senate. Since the House of Representatives has already passed its own 1,990-page bill, only a seismic intervention could stop it from reaching Mr Obama’s desk within the ensuing weeks.
On Thursday, aides to Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, said they believed the latest formulation would attract the 60 votes needed to prevent Republicans from being able to block it.
In addition, the fact Mr Reid is engaging the interest of two Republicans, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both senators for Maine, has provided added confidence that they may be able to afford to lose one Democratic vote in the upper chamber.
SOURCE: Financial Times
