DKos, David Waldman: More detail on what's next for health insurance reform

[highplainsdem]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/27/819181/-More-detail-on-whats-next-for-health-insurance-reform

More detail on what's next for health insurance reform
by David Waldman
Sun Dec 27, 2009 at 06:00:03 AM PST

Red State readers are apparently over the moon at Jim DuhMint's objection to the Senate's appointment of conferees on the health insurance reform bill, in the belief that it somehow dooms the effort. In fact, it does no such thing, and DuhMint's objections do little more than waste a bit more time in an already drawn-out process.

-snip-

But ultimately, there's no formal requirement that the differences between the houses be settled in a conference committee. That's just one vehicle available to them, and one that comports with their preference for formal and transparent process. But there's nothing that prohibits them from meeting informally and trying to cobble together a package of amendments that they think can pass both houses, and then taking that package to the floor of the House and offering it as an amendment to H.R. 3590 as amended by the Senate. If they've calculated correctly, that package would pass the House and be sent back to the Senate, which would have an opportunity to vote on whether or not to accede to the House amendment. And if the House amendment has been pre-cleared in the informal negotiations, then Senate leaders will know that they'll have the 60 votes it would take even to overcome any threatened filibuster of the motion to take up the House amendment, which would all but seal the deal.

So, did Jim DuhMint kill the bill with his objection? No. The easy path for the Senate to actually be the one to put the bill on the road to conference is blocked, but the Senate can still opt to be the one requesting conference if it wants to, or it can leave that to the House. And even then, the House may not be interested in a formal conference. And not only that, but nothing about DuhMint's objection delays the option to begin informal negotiations by so much as a nanosecond.

Easy peasy, right?