Dems Hope To Merge House Health Reform Bills By Next Week

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 25 Sep 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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House Democratic leaders on Wednesday said that they hope to merge the three committee versions of their health reform bill (HR 3200) by next week to allow time for members to review it and the Congressional Budget Office to score it before it is introduced on the floor for a final vote, CQ Today reports (Roth, CQ Today, 9/23). House Democratic Caucus Chair John Larson (D-Conn.) on Wednesday said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "has been very adamant about making sure that we have a bill for people to examine next week," adding that it "won't be the final answer but it will we something that can now say, 'OK, is this something we can all coalesce around?'" (House/Hunt, CongressDaily, 9/23).

Energy and Commerce Adds Amendments

The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday completed its final markup of health reform legislation. Now the House Rules Committee must combine the Energy and Commerce version of the bill with the versions produced by the House Education and Labor and Ways and Means committees. According to CQ Today, House Democratic leaders will participate in that process "behind the scenes."

Wednesday's markup was a special session to consider amendments that had not been addressed before the panel approved the bill on July 31. Although Energy and Commerce Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), the ranking Republican on the panel, agreed that they would hear only a few amendments, it "did not stop members from both sides from dragging out the session for hours by offering and withdrawing measures to make their final point about the legislation," CQ Today reports (Armstrong, CQ Today, 9/23). Committee members voted 28-22 to approve a motion containing amendments making "largely ... technical or noncontroversial changes," and they approved by voice vote 15 amendments Waxman offered en bloc. Among the amendments was a measure to establish a pilot program aimed at curbing infant mortality and a clarification that drug manufacturers do not need to pay rebates to Medicaid for drugs purchased by Medicaid managed care organizations if they received a drug discount through the 340B program (Barr, BNA, 9/24).

Pelosi Discusses Timetable

Also on Wednesday, Pelosi said that production of a single health care bill does not mean that it will be brought to the floor immediately. She said CBO "has to take 10 days to two weeks when we complete the design on the bill" to score it, adding, "Because of the pace the Senate has, there's no urgency for us to get it to the floor next week. We can take the time to see what they're doing and have the benefit of their thinking on the legislation" (Roth, CQ Today, 9/23). House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said on Wednesday that he hopes for a floor vote in October (Armstrong, CQ Today, 9/23).

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