House Charges Ahead: First Health Care Mark-Up Begins This Week
Now that it's unveiled its health care reform draft bill, the House isn't wasting any time. The Education and Labor Committee, chaired by Rep. George Miller (D-CA), will begin its mark-up process tomorrow afternoon with opening statements.
On Thursday, the committee will amend those titles of the bill over which it has primary jurisdiction. The entire process is scheduled to last 48 hours.
The House Ways and Means Committee will take up the bill on Thursday as well. These announcements come amid White House pressure as Congressional leaders have renewed their commitments to complete and vote on their bills before August recess.
Late update: The Energy and Commerce Committee will also begin mark-up this week, though their process will likely last into next week, longer than their counterparts'.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
"Congressional leaders"?
Or "House leaders"? And isn't that inconsistent with Waxman's description? Did Baucus really vow to vote by the August recess? He's going to have to start cracking the whip on the Finance Committee, isn't he?
This is great news, nonetheless. Congress is going to have to learn to multi-task, obviously.
July 14, 2009 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
OOps.
I see it was Harry Reid who said it's going to get done before they leave.
My prediction? Which I really hope isn't borne out? That in order to get the health reform done in that time frame, Baucus and Reid will argue that the public option simply has to be dropped in favor of co-ops or some other lame option.
July 14, 2009 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope your prediction isn't borne out. Here's one argument for why, as you say, co-ops are lame:
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/107285
July 14, 2009 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the link. So when co-ops don't work, they turn into for-profit entities.
July 14, 2009 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
The cynic is strong in you. I am just that cynical as well CT but I think that would just make it longer not shorter. Personally, I feel it may be the other way around, will Finanace be the odd man out? Time will tell, if it comes out with a public option.......the debate is over this bill will get through with one for sure. If it doesn't..........then this gets a bit messy.
July 14, 2009 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
My expectations for congress doing anything about this are exceedingly low, yes.
Just to make you more depressed : ) --my other prediction is that abortion will become an issue that drags out the process.
But you know what? For today, I'll just enjoy the fact that the legislation is moving forward in at least one chamber. It really is a step forward.
July 14, 2009 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's easy to be cynical. There will undoubtedly be some compromises made along the way, but I think they've got too much invested in the public option to give up on it. They've twisted enough arms of the fence-sitters so that they've got the votes. They just need to get past Republican filibuster, but there's always the reconciliation route if they need it. I think this is actually going to happen.
July 14, 2009 5:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
An amendment I would like to see added is one that ties Republican Members of Congress' health care coverage to the passage of this one. We'll see then how much they are really against government-funded health care.
July 14, 2009 10:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Without a doubt. Henry Waxman is my favorite congressperson of both chambers.
July 14, 2009 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mine is Alan Grayson
July 14, 2009 5:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't pass the champaigne yet. Most of the provisions of this version of a health care bill don't take effect for a few years. The total package doesn't take effect for 4 years. Meanwhile, Congress will be able to change the plan as the years go by, and much of it is unlikely to ever even occur.
We need to remember that the gold standard is universal single payer health care, where if anyone in this country needs medical care they can go to a clinic and get the care, at little or no cost. This gold standard is now compromised to a copper standard, soon to become a zinc standard.
July 14, 2009 11:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's a comment that I also left on Yglesias's latest health care thread.
The bill is obviously very imperfect in a lot of ways, but our fucked-up political system was never going to allow us to get to a sane system in one go. My test for a bill this year is whether it puts us on the road to reach such a system eventually, or onto a siding. My reading is that this bill for all its manifest absurdities does do the former. In particular the employer mandate with its provision to substitute a payroll assessment for coverage is like a mine laid under the current system. It will eventually blow that system up, which is what we want. So I’m on board.
July 15, 2009 8:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
I've seen where about 20 million people are expected to start out in the public plan moving up to 40 million in a few years. Having that option for small businesses provides a strong incentive for private insurance companies to stop dicking them around. The streamlining of the records system if done right, and it looks like the provisions for that are strong, will lower private/public plan and provider costs.
Little of this happens overnight but phasing it in puts the writing on the wall for all concerned. Adhere to the new rules or go out of business.
July 15, 2009 9:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Our country has no problem with dredging up a trillion dollars to hand to the investment banks to maintain their gambling enterprise, and do it "overnight", but when it comes to the basic health care of its citizens, we are definitely a "can't do" nation. In case anyone forgot, we are in a very bad economic situation right now, and one of the contributors to that situation is out of control health care costs. Those costs are hurting the competitiveness of our businesses vs the world market, as well as doing great harm to our citizens. But, when it comes to finding the money to fix problems, only major investment banks are worth the effort. We need a backbone transplant.
July 15, 2009 10:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
The House bill is paid for in part by a half trillion dollar tax hike on those making over $350,000. It isn't pure single payer but it's a start.
July 15, 2009 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink