And Onto the House
Much attention has been paid to what is happening in the Senate over healthcare … so where does the House stand in the debate?
I’ve focused most of my attention on the Senate in the last few weeks, but let’s not turn a blind eye to the House of Representatives. Though the vast majority of developments have emanated from the “North Wing” of Capitol Hill (that’s the Senate for all you folks outside the beltway – I’m actually starting to get the lingo down), the House will soon regain the spotlight when Congressional Democrats unveil their combined healthcare proposal.
On Wednesday, House Democrats announced they will have a bill ready for introduction next week that incorporates many different proposals circulating throughout the chamber for months. I anticipate it will have many of the characteristics of the final Senate Finance Committee Bill, which will go to the Senate floor late next week. House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-CT) predicted that once the bill is unveiled, many can expect the proposal to reach the House floor within two weeks.
But politics is all ado about what’s happening. I anticipate that the House will be “leading” while “reacting” to the events of the Senate Finance Committee. We will have to wait and see another week to determine if Speaker Pelosi abandons the compromises that Democratic leaders developed over the past weeks with the more moderate Blue Dog wing of their party. I actually think we’re into a dance for the public that means little for the reality of legislation that will finally appear. I’m not being skeptical, just understanding how the process works…
Again, the specter of “too much and too many” reared its head when Representative John Boehner (R-OH) said, “With all the attention on healthcare, attention that needs to be paid to what is happening in Afghanistan isn’t happening.” Some Republicans are clearly trying to deflect attention from the healthcare debate by raising other issues. However, the most significant issue is one of cost in both the Senate and House. If that issue is not addressed, healthcare reform will come undone. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel predicted Thursday that healthcare reform will be passed before Thanksgiving. Yes, if two issues are resolved first: 1) affordability for the American people; and, 2) keeping the total price tag below $1 trillion. Let’s hope they keep focused on these two issues in the coming week.
The views and opinions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Dell Services or its affiliates.
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