Rep. Miller: House Democrats Must Pass Senate Healthcare Bill First On Mere Promise of Future Fixes

[Better Believe It]

George Miller Says House Democrats Will Pass Senate Bill First On Mere Promise Of Future Fixes
By Jon Walker
February 26, 2010

Rep. George Miller (D-CA) is now saying the path forward will be for the House to pass the current Senate bill–unchanged–with the promise of a reconciliation fix later. Which, you know, the Senate Democrats promise they will get around to. Lucy, meet football. From The Hill:

Miller conceded that the House may have to pass the healthcare bill first approved by the Senate in December before the Congress can take up a bill using the reconciliation process in order to make fixes to the Senate bill. Using that process, the Senate could approve those changes with only a simple majority vote, instead of the 60 votes usually needed to end a filibuster.

“That may require us to pass the Senate bill first and then send the reconciliation bill to the Senate for them to pass,” Miller said. “I think Sen. Reid believes he can put the votes together for that.”

Reid believes he can possibly get the votes together. . . wow! That is the kind of rock-solid, almost promise House Democrats can take to the bank! Just like how Reid believed he could get the votes together for a Senate bill with a public option. With 290 House bills waiting to be acted on in the Senate, House Democrats would be fools to buy any vague promises from Reid.

It is important to remember that there are not even 50 Senate Democrats currently on record saying they would support the general concept of a reconciliation sidecar. Even if 50 Democratic senators agree to move forward, there is no guarantee that, when negotiating the specifics, support for the reconciliation bill not fall apart. Given that Senate Democrats seem pretty proud of their bill, and that it is basically the bill Obama wanted all along, does anyone think that once the House passed the Senate bill, all the air wouldn’t go out of the push for reconciliation?

Do House Democrats actually think that Senate Democrats will pick up health care reform again after they pass the Senate bill–after they give Obama and the Senate the big “W?” If they do, they must have had their heads in the sand for the past year as their Senate colleagues basically ruined every bill they sent them. If the House acts first, they better be prepared to be left holding the bag and defending in midterm elections an incredibly unpopular bill that they had no say in writing.

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/02/26/george-miller-says-house-democrats-will-pass-senate-bill-first-on-mere-promise-of-future-fixes/

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Emanuel, Pelosi Meet In Capitol To Chart Health Care Course
By Ryan Grim
02-26-10

Rahm Emanuel ventured to the Capitol Friday evening to hash out health care strategy with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a White House aide confirmed.

The meeting comes as Democrats are searching for a way to get to the health care finish line, though neither chamber wants to move first. Senate leaders want the House to pass the Senate bill first, after which the Senate would use reconciliation to fix the legislation to the liking of the Senate. House leaders contend that the votes aren't there for the Senate bill if the upper chamber doesn't move. The House, after two centuries of watching the Senate lag behind, doesn't trust that it'll act.

Senior Hill aides speculated to HuffPost that Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, would bring the message that the House must move first, with a pledge from Senate Democrats that they would follow. It's hard to make amendments to a law through reconciliation if that law hasn't been made official yet, they argue.

Pelosi's office wouldn't confirm that the meeting, which was still ongoing as of the early evening, was taking place or comment on what Pelosi's reaction might be. A White House aide said he was unsure what message Emanuel would deliver.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/26/emanuel-pelosi-meet-in-ca_n_479095.html

If Mr. Emanuel using his "sharp elbows" on Pelosi to get her in line?

So how many Democratic Senators have even called upon Senator Reid to include any kind of public option in a possible reconciliation bill .... 20? So what are the chances that any of the House proposals including a public option would be included in a reconciliation bill AFTER the House approves the Senate bill? Somewhere between zero and nothing.

Once the House approves the Senate healthcare bill it's a done deal. Obama signs it. I can hear the excuses now: "Now was someone talking about some sort of reconciliation bill? We'll, start working on it now and perhaps this summer something will be done .... or not. We do have many more important legislation that the Senate must work on .... so check back at the end of the year."

[aaronbav]

1. If this it true, then the DEMS are utter, complete

contemptuous fools that DO NOT DESERVE TO BE IN CONGRESS.

[slipslidingaway]

2. knr nt

[Gravel Democrat]

3. Why not? That philosophy has worked well with NAFTA and the Patriot act!

The DLC could have a breath holding contest

[regnaD kciN]

4. It's from FDL...

What else needs to be said? :boring:

[Better Believe It]

5. It's from "The Hill" and "Huffington Post" and therefore should not be read.