House, Senate Reach Budget Deal Aimed At Easing Passage Of Health Care Reform

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 28 Apr 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Negotiators in the House and Senate on Friday reached a tentative agreement on major elements of President Obama's $3.5 trillion fiscal year 2010 spending plan, including a deal on a procedure that will fast-track health care reform legislation and other administrative priorities, CQ Today reports (Clarke/Conlon, CQ Today, 4/24). According to the Washington Post, the process, known as reconciliation, is a procedural mechanism under which certain tax or spending bills cannot be blocked by filibuster, meaning that they can move through the Senate with only 51 votes, as opposed to the 60 needed to break a filibuster (Montgomery/Paley, Washington Post, 4/25). The budget is expected to instruct several committees to produce legislation that would save $1 billion this year, setting the stage for health care legislation to advance later in the year through reconciliation, according to CQ Today. The budget agreement also would cut $10 billion from Obama's discretionary spending request but allow some additional spending in other areas (CQ Today, 4/24).

Although supporters of Obama's health care reform plan applauded the agreement, Republicans and some influential Democrats have voiced opposition to reconciliation, saying it goes against Obama's pledge of bipartisanship and could hinder reform efforts, the Post reports (Washington Post, 4/25). CQ Today reports that using reconciliation for health care reform is a "sore spot" for Republicans because it will significantly lessen their leverage to block the measure. Democrats maintain that they only want to use reconciliation as a last-resort option, but many Republicans are skeptical (CQ Today, 4/24).

According to BNA, a conference committee between the two chambers of Congress is scheduled to meet on Monday to finalize the largely nonbinding blueprint for FY 2010 and the four subsequent years. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) would like to act on the resolution on Wednesday to coincide with the 100th day of the Obama administration. The House is likely to act this week as well (Nicholson/Rothman, BNA, 4/27).

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