Reid, McConnell Reach Deal to Adjourn Early

Senate Republicans have agreed to end their filibuster of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) health care reform bill a few hours early, allowing for a vote at 8 a.m. on Christmas Eve.

GOP Press Conference:

SOURCE: Roll Call

More Senate Votes

After a cloture vote at 1 am on Monday, this time the votes begin at sunrise, as the Senate first votes on the latest health care amendments offered by Democrats. Then there will be a second cloture vote on the underlying substitute amendment for the health care.

On Monday, Democrats urged Republicans to cut short their Senate battle on health care, and allow a final vote before Christmas.

Under the Senate rules, the GOP could stretch out the debate until Thursday night, on Christmas Eve, but some Senators say there is no reason for lawmakers to ruin their holiday and that of their Senate staffers as well.

The schedule looks like this:

• Tuesday 7:20 am - two votes as detailed above, then 30 hours of debate
• Wednesday 2 pm - two more votes, one on the substitute amendment, and then a cloture vote to shut off debate on the bill
• Thursday 8-9 pm - final approval of the health care bill on Christmas Eve

SOURCE: Jamie Dupree

Negative Reviews Of Senate Bill

In the wake of the Senate vote to end cloture on the health care bill, numerous analysts have chimed in with negative reviews. Here are some excerpts from a few of them:

Passing health reform could be a nightmare for Obama (Samuelson, Washington Post, 12/21/2009):

...Even if Congress passes legislation -- a good bet -- the finished product will fall far short of Obama's extravagant promises. It will not cover everyone. It will not control costs. It will worsen the budget outlook. It will lead to higher taxes. It will disrupt how, or whether, companies provide insurance for their workers. As the real-life (as opposed to rhetorical) consequences unfold, they will rebut Obama's claim that he has "solved" the health-care problem.

Change Nobody Believes In (Wall Street Journal, 12/21/2009):

...The rushed, secretive way that a bill this destructive and unpopular is being forced on the country shows that "reform" has devolved into the raw exercise of political power for the single purpose of permanently expanding the American entitlement state.

The WSJ also criticizes the following specific elements:

Health costs
Steep declines in choice and quality
Blowing up the federal fisc
Political intimidation

Finally, this essay has been circulating around the blogosphere: Why the Reid Bill is Unconstitutional (Richard Epstein, 12/12/2009). His central point:

In effect, the onerous obligations under the Reid Bill would convert private health insurance companies into virtual public utilities. This action is not only a source of real anxiety but also a decision of constitutional proportions, for it systematically strips the regulated health-insurance issuers of their constitutional entitlement to earn a reasonable rate of return on the massive amounts of capital that they have already invested in building out their businesses.

The big question is whether these arguments will gain any traction against the back room deal-making by the politicians. We'll find out soon...

SOURCE: We Stand FIRM

Democrats Face Challenge in Merging Health Bills

Sixty-four House Democrats, representing one-fourth of the House Democratic caucus, voted for stringent restrictions on insurance coverage of abortion. And 41 of them voted for passage of the House bill, so they constitute a crucial bloc. The bill was approved, 220 to 215, on Nov. 7.

But leading supporters of abortion rights in the House said they would not vote for a final bill if it included those restrictions, which they fear would curtail access to abortion for many women who already have insurance.

The House bill would establish a tax surcharge on income over $500,000 for individuals and over $1 million for couples. The Senate bill would tax high-cost employer-sponsored health plans and increase the Medicare payroll tax on individuals with incomes over $200,000 and couples over $250,000.

Lawmakers said they could envision a compromise mixing the two approaches.

More than 190 House members have gone on record against the Senate’s proposed excise tax on “Cadillac health plans,” which is also opposed by organized labor. But the White House and some health economists say the tax could help control health costs by encouraging employers to shop for cheaper policies that would not be hit by the tax.

It is unclear whether the House and the Senate will appoint a formal conference committee or just try to work out their differences in negotiations with Democratic leaders and committee chairmen from the two chambers. In any event, White House officials expect to play a huge role.

SOURCE: New York Times