House to Senate: We're Ready On Health Care If You Are (updated)

[ProSense]

House to Senate: We're Ready On Health Care If You Are

Brian Beutler

Leading Democrats in the House still insist that "all options are on the table" to move ahead on health care. But for the first time since last Tuesday's special election in Massachusetts, it's clear that they're coalescing around the most widely discussed option: moving ahead with the Senate bill once it's clear that it will be changed through the filibuster-proof reconciliation process. Before they can move ahead, they need the Senate to make some real headway on their end of the bargain--and they're not getting the signs they need.

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House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA)--one of the key architect's of the House health care bill--gives it the high sign. "I think reconciliation's an appropriate way to proceed on reconciling the budget requirements," he said. "It's available to us. That was very specifically handled that way when we passed the budget."

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"A lot hangs on what the President says tomorrow," said Rep. John Larson (D-CT)

Weiner echoed this sentiment. "He needs to give us some legislative marching orders here, because anything less than that is going to be seen as his acquiescence to us essentially walking away from it. And I think that would be regrettable from all sides."

Updated to add:

US House Democrats Mull Fast-Track Option For Health Bill

By Patrick Yoest
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--House Democrats met Tuesday night to discuss how to proceed on health care, with a fast-track legislative procedure for passing health legislation remaining a focal point of intra-party debates.

Following Democrats' loss of a crucial 60th Senate seat last week after a Massachusetts special election, Democrats have sought a new path to pass health-care legislation. On Tuesday, several House Democrats spoke about passing a Senate version of the legislation, accompanied by a second bill making a series of changes--doing the latter by "budget reconciliation," a fast-track process that requires only a simple majority of 50 votes in the Senate for passage of legislation.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, (D., S.D.) said Tuesday that he felt "confident" that the Democrats could gather the needed votes to pass legislation under the two-bill strategy. But he warned that major modifications would need to be made in the Senate bill to make it palatable to House Democrats, saying that "I think that we have to fix some things that the House is upset about."

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Rep. Anthony Weiner, (D., N.Y.) told reporters that House Democrats should initiate reconciliation procedures to ensure that the changes that it wants to see made are actually done. Those changes, Weiner suggested, could include the addition of a public health insurance plan--a prospect that would surely stir discontent among moderate Democrats but that could help solidify support among liberal Democrats in the House.

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[Clio the Leo]

1. Glad to see Anthony changing his tune a bit.

.... now GIVE him those marching orders Mr. President!

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

2. Good news.

[Jennicut]

3. Please get it done already. Stupid Senate.

The House always does all the dirty work.