Van Hollen memo lays out time line and messaging

[impik]

The office of Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who is the assistant to Speaker Pelosi, sent a memo to Democratic staffers today telling them to clear members' schedule for next weekend, saying a vote could come as early as Friday or Saturday, and noting that it was no coincidence that President Obama pushed back his trip abroad from March 18 to March 21st.

The Van Hollen memo also advised members to avoid talking about the process.

"At this point, we have to just rip the band-aid off and have a vote -- up or down; yes or no? Things like reconciliation and what the rules committee does is INSIDE BASEBALL," the memo says. "People who try and start arguments about process on this are almost always against the actual policy substance too, often times for purely political reasons."

Leadership expects a CBO score on the reconciliation package by today or Monday. No decisions have been made on how the final process will unfold on the House floor, the memo says. So it appears Democrats are still grappling with whether they can use the process to pass the Senate bill without voting directly on the bill. Many Democrats view the Senate bill's deals and policies as a toxic political mix that they would rather not endorse without first making changes to it.

Finally, the memo recommends staffers put together in-district events during the Easter recess where their lawmakers can highlight all the immediate benefits reform would provide.

Full memo after the jump.

UPDATE: A Van Hollen aide says that the memo went out to the district directors of freshmen and sophomore members who were fielding questions about timing and procedure and were looking for scheduling guidance.

Hi all –

Attached and below are some good resources to get through the health care push next week.

Here is my best guess on timeline but as always this is Congress so it could all change very quickly:

TODAY or MONDAY: CBO will publish final scores on legislative language

THEN: House Budget Committee must approve using the reconciliation process to pass this

THEN: The bill will go to the Rules Committee, rule will be constructed for consideration on the floor, and language will be posted online (on the Rules website) and the 72-hour clock will start. When this happens, we will start to have a better idea on what the process will be.

THEN: A Manager’s Amendment will be constructed that will make some final changes

THEN: The Manager’s Amendment will be posted online and the 72-hour clock will start (this may overlap with the 72-hour clock on the reconciliation language). When Manager’s Amendment is done final process decisions will be locked in.

THIS MEANS: We will likely vote Friday or Saturday. (As you probably saw, POTUS pushed back the departure for his Asian trip from Thursday the 18th to Sunday the 21st; this was not a coincidence.) The Speaker has publically committed to trying to get a vote on both the reconciliation bill and the Senate bill on the same day. They are still trying to work out the final process on this and much of what we do depends on what the Senate Parliamentarian decides. You may be receiving calls about the “Slaughter Rule” and other rumors about what the process will be. Again, please understand: no decision has yet been made on the process for consideration on the House floor.

Key points:

1. I would have your Member’s schedule pretty clear for next weekend. They will either be here or exhausted (or both).

2. I continue to encourage all of you not to get into debates about process and to try and persuade your Member not to get into process arguments either. At this point, we have to just rip the band-aid off and have a vote -- up or down; yes or no? Things like reconciliation and what the rules committee does is INSIDE BASEBALL. People who try and start arguments about process on this are almost always against the actual policy substance too, often times for purely political reasons.

3. Finally, I encourage you to study the final attached slide (#14) and give some thought to what your plan is post-vote, especially during Easter Work Period. If your Member is a yes, or might be a yes, I would lay the groundwork for some events to highlight the reforms that will quickly become law – no more donut hole, dependent children covered until 26, insurance access for those with pre-existing conditions, etc.



http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0310/Van_Hollen_memo_lays_out_time_line_and_messaging_.html

[Clio the Leo]

1. lol but what about those of us who are INSIDE BASEBALL FREAKS!!!

The not knowing is killing me!!! :)

Ah well, with thanks to Chris Cilizza for the inspiration....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jK-NcRmVcw

[Jennicut]

2. Van Hollen makes a good point: those arguing over the process are really against the policy.

Also, no decision on if the Slaughter Rule will be able to be used....wonder when Frumin, the Parliamentarian, will make the final decision.