House Democratic leaders just did something very smart. In announcing the House reconciliation package and the CBO evaluation of it, the leaders had non-politicians talk about what the legislation would mean to them specifically.
A retired school teacher from Washington, DC talked about using her grocery and utility bill money to pay …
Here’s the 25-page Congressional Budget Office “preliminary estimate” of the Senate bill with the House package of changes. Much, much more here and on Time.com once I’ve had a chance to comb through and absorb all the policy implications. There are no earth-shattering changes. The Senate bill with the reconciliation package would reduce …
As Jay and I have pointed out, by the time Election Day rolls around, most voters probably won’t care much what procedures or sweetheart deals Democrats employed in their efforts to pass health care reform. Democrats are more likely be judged by the generic measure of whether they were for or against health care. (This is assuming health …
Where is the CBO score?
There were hints the score would come last week. The by the weekend. Then Monday. Then Tuesday. Earlier today, Talking Points Memo reported that “multiple sources in the House and Senate” said to expect a score by “late today.” NBC’s Luke Russert just tweeted that the score would be out by 7:30 p.m. today. …
Michael noted earlier that the money is flowing for pro and anti-reform TV ads this week. One more was just released – this time from Moveon.org. The ad flashes pictures of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. while a voiceover says voting for health care reform amounts to being “on the right side of history.” Moveon.org, a …
Those are Nancy Pelosi’s words today on why she wants to get health reform done as quickly as possible.
But even among Hill reporters, there’s some confusion over what procedurally will happen this week. Democratic leaders, including Pelosi, are keeping quiet about their precise parliamentary strategy for three reasons. One, if they …
The House budget committee took a procedural step late Sunday night that opens the door to begin moving a reconciliation package on Monday. The committee posted what it’s calling “The Reconciliation Act of 2010,” but which I’m told is just the vehicle House Democrats will use to put together a subsequent package of changes to the Senate …
At a press conference today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared the public option dead. Here’s what she said:
I’m quite sad that a public option isn’t in there. But it isn’t a case of it’s not in there because the Senate is whipping against it. It’s not in there because they don’t have the votes to have it in there…We had
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There has been a lot of intrigue on the Hill today about what’s happening in the health reform saga. For those of you dozing off, perk up. Next week is shaping up to be a big one.
* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid officially informed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, via letter, that Senate Democrats intend to use …
Not to beat a dead horse, but Republicans continue to write ominous memos and give cryptic quotes about the political danger House Democrats face if they pass the Senate health bill. They’re publicly naming names now in an effort to scare wavering or vulnerable House Democrats into voting against the bill. (Steve Driehaus and Nick …
It was an odd scene. There was Karen Ignagni, head of the health insurance lobby, introducing President Obama’s Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Before the two women shook hands today at the insurance industry’s annual conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington DC, Ignagni said to Sebelius, “It is a delight to …
If you’re not a congressman in Washington DC or a voter living in a Congressional district represented by a Democrat (especially one whose vote on the Senate health care bill is uncertain) you’re not the target audience. But rest assured, interest groups are still spending millions on ads for and against Democratic health care reform. …
Is anyone else feeling a bit of déjà vu?
This stage in the health care legislative battle feels, to me at least, a lot like the period just before Christmas. Remember the constant threats from Republicans that they would use all the parliamentary tools available to indefinitely stall a final vote on the Senate health care bill? …
