Congressional Proposals

Both houses of Congress passed differing health care reform bills in late 2009. Congress has yet to pass a compromise based on the two bills. 

Congressional Democrats are hoping that the House will soon pass the Senate's health care bill. Then both chambers would pass an additional bill that includes changes to the original bill. The House is considering using the self-executing or "deem and pass" rule to pass both the Senate bill and the bill with the House changes by voting only on the bill with the House changes. 3/17/10 (New)

Explaining 'Deem and Pass,' MSNBC, 3/16/10

The Senate would pass the second bill using the simple majority, budget reconciliation process. 3/11/10 (New)

How the Budget Reconciliation Process Works, Kaiser Health News

A Guide to the Health Care Procedural Dance, MSNBC, 3/17/10 (New)

Health Care Reform Summit

President Obama held a public health care reform summit on February 25, 2010 with hopes of finding a compromise that could be enacted. The White House released President Obama's proposal for health care reform a few days in advance of the summit. After the summit, President Obama released a letter suggesting that four Republican reform ideas be added to the current Democratic proposal. In a speech on March 3, 2010, President Obama asked Congress to proceed to a final vote on health care reform within the next few weeks. 3/3/10 (New)


House of Representatives


The House Budget Committee has released the text of a bill that will be the base for its proposed changes to the Senate's health care bill. This text had been proposed to other House committees last year. There are plans for many changes to this text during the markup process. The House plans to approve the Senate health reform bill then pass the bill described above that specifies the House changes to the Senate bill. The Senate is then expected to pass the secondary bill using the budget reconciliation process to institute the changes approved by the House . 3/15/10 (New)

The House passed its health care reform bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962) on November 7, 2009, by a vote of 220 to 215. It's a blended version of bills from three committees.

Senate

On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its health care reform bill by the narrowest of margins, 60 to 39. The bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590), is the result of blending two earlier Senate bills, S 1796 and S 1679, introduced early this fall by the Senate Finance and HELP Committees. 

Additional Resources

Comparison Tools

News Stories and Other Resources

Dems on Track for Vote on $940B Overhaul, AP/MSNBC, 3/18/10 (New)
CBO: Health Package Costs $940 Billion, Cuts Deficit by $130 Billion, The Hill, 3/18/10 (New)
Idaho First to Sign Law Against Health Care Reform, AP/MSNBC, 3/17/10 (New)
A Guide to the Health Care Procedural Dance, MSNBC, 3/17/10 (New)
House Democrats' Tactic for Health-Care Bill Is Debated, Washington Post, 3/17/10 (New)
Democrats May Use Shortcut to Pass Healthcare Overhaul, Los Angeles Times, 3/17/10 (New)
Health Bill Faces Delay as Democrats Tinker With Cost, BusinessWeek, 3/17/10 (New)
House May Try to Pass Senate Health-Care Bill Without Voting on It, Washington Post, 3/16/10 (New)
Explaining 'Deem and Pass,' MSNBC, 3/16/10 (New)
House Plan to Pass Health Care Raises Constitutional Questions, McClatchy News, 3/15/10 (New)
Obama Calls for Courage, The Hill, 3/15/10 (New)
House Democrats Release Bill for Budget Markup Monday, The Hill, 3/15/10 (New)
Democratic Leaders Say Health Bill Will Pass, Washington Post, 3/15/10 (New)
Undecided Democrats Hold Power Over Health Bill, USA Today, 3/15/10 (New)
State Lawmakers Try to Head Off Health Bill, USA Today, 3/15/10 (New)
Health End Game Hinges on House, Senate Trust, MSNBC, 3/12/10 (New)
Democrats Move Toward Grouping Health Reform With Student-Aid Bill, Washington Post, 3/12/10 (New)
Parliamentarian's Ruling Deals Blow to Healthcare Reform Chances, The Hill, 3/11/10 
Alexander, Gregg Threaten War Over Reconciliation Fixes, The Hill, 3/11/10 
White House, Democrats Close In on Health Bill, AP/MSNBC, 3/11/10
Obama Touts Plan to Cut Waste in Medicare, Medicaid, Los Angeles Times, 3/11/10
Pelosi Faces Biggest Test on U.S. Healthcare Vote, Reuters, 3/10/10
Pelosi: Dems Close on Health Care Agreement, AP, 3/10/10
On Health-Care Reform, Republicans Target Democrats' Division Over Reconciliation, Washington Post, 3/10/10
Health Care Ad Cyclorama to Clog Airwaves, USA Today, 3/9/10
Parlimentary Hurdle Could Thwart Latest Health Care Overhaul Strategy, New York Times, 3/9/10
Obama Adds Fire to Healthcare Debate, Los Angeles Times, 3/9/10
Obama Launches Attack on Insurance Companies, Washington Post, 3/9/10
Lights, Camera, Reconcile, Politico, 3/9/10
President Obama Takes Reform on the Road, Politico, 3/8/10 
Obama Intensifies Health Care Efforts, Washington Post, 3/5/10
Obama Calls for 'Up or Down' Vote on Health, Wall Street Journal, 3/3/10
Here's How Reconciliation' Works in Congress, Miami Herald, 3/3/10
Obama Expresses Interest in Four GOP Healthcare Ideas, Los Angeles Times, 3/3/10
Details of Obama's Health Plan, AP, 3/2/10
Battle Brews Over Tactic to Pass Health Bill, Wall Street Journal, 3/1/10
White House: Simple Up-or-Down Vote on Health Care, AP, 2/28/10
Healthcare Summit Reveals Chasm Between Parties, Los Angeles Times, 2/25/10
At Summit, Obama Urges Parties to Focus on Areas of Agreement, Washington Post, 2/25/10
US House Slaps Antitrust Law on Health Insurers, Reuters, 2/24/10
Republicans Plan to Stress Private-Sector Alternatives to the President's Plan, Washington Post, 2/24/10 
Excise Tax on High-Cost Health Plans Would Have Nonunion Impact, Study Shows, Washington Post, 2/18/10  
  Report discussed in article above.
Obama Makes Strong Appeal for Healthcare Reform in His Address, The Hill, 1/27/10
How the Budget Reconciliation Process Works, Kaiser Health News, 1/21/10 
U.S. Health Care Reform, Key Issues to Watch, Proskauer Rose, 1/15/10
Effective Dates of Proposed Health Care Reforms, HR Policy Association, 1/4/10
U.S. Senate Passes Historic Health Care Reform Bill, Hewitt Associates, December 2009
Healthcare Reform: Core Concepts for Employer Group Health Plans, Morgan Lewis & Bockius, 12/17/09