Ooppss! The posted House reconciliation bill is already being changed!

[Better Believe It]

Conrad Asks House To Remove North Dakota Deal
By Rachel Slajda
March 18, 2010

After taking heat for a "special deal" in the House's health care reconciliation bill that would benefit the Bank of North Dakota, House leadership will submit a manager's amendment to remove the deal.

The provision, seen as a deal for Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), would have allowed the Bank of North Dakota, a state bank, to continue receiving federal subsidies for student loans, even as the bill eliminated such subsidies for other banks. Student loan legislation is tied into the health care bill.

So Conrad had his staff call leadership and ask to get it removed.

"I've just sent a signal that they should remove that before they send the package, because in this heated environment, it is virtually impossible to discuss the merits or demerits of a difference," Conrad told reporters today. "So I just called my staff and said, 'call the House.'"

Conrad, who has been a vocal critic of the various health care bills in Congress, defended the deal to Roll Call earlier today.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/conrad-asks-house-to-remove-north-dakota-deal.php?ref=fpa

[jody]

1. Does that not mean that the bill approved by the Senate is not the bill being sent to the House that

is to be "deem and pass" without a vote?

[karynnj]

2. The Senate bill that will be passed by "deem and Pass" is

the bill passed with 60 votes in December. This provision is in the set of fixes in the House written reconciliation bill that the CBO just scored. (The House and Senate leadership are insuring that the bill is acceptable to enough people on each side>)

PS - THERE IS A VOTE. The difference is that there are not two votes.

[jody]

4. Thanks. n/t

[Better Believe It]

3. House members will not be permitted to vote on the Senate bill.

The House reconciliation bill can be changed with a so-called "managers amendment" at anytime before the House vote on the reconciliation bill. Once that vote is taken, the Senate bill, without changes, shall be considered approved by the House without an actual seperate vote.

When that happens President Obama may sign the bill and it becomes law.

The Senate may later adopt parts or all of the House reconciliation bill but they are under no legal or constitutional obligation to do so.

Nancy Pelosi likes her procedure.

As Pelosi explained: ""It's more insider and process oriented than most people want to know, but I like it because people don't have to vote on the Senate bill."

And that in turn enables all House members to claim that they never voted for the Senate health insurance bill when the shit hits the fan.

Pretty slick, hey?

[jody]

5. Thanks. n/t