House Ways and Means, Education and Labor, and Senate HELP Committees Pass Health Reform Bill Along Party Lines; Senate Finance Delays Consideration

The three House committees with jurisdiction over health care reform and the Senate HELP committee continued to move their health reform bills this week, while the Senate Finance committee continues to delay their mark up in order to continue bi-partisan negotiations. The House Education and Labor took their final vote this morning and approved 26-22 the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200). Ways and Means took their final vote on the bill at 1:16 a.m. today, more than 16 hours after the markup started Thursday morning. The House Energy and Commerce Committee also began its mark up on Thursday, but do not expect final votes until later next week. Ways and Means and Education and Labor has yet to include long term services and supports (see below) in their mark up.

The Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee passed its health reform bill by a 13-10 party-line vote Wednesday morning, leaving the Senate Finance Committee as the most likely arena for a bipartisan compromise. The bill contains the Community Living Assistance Supports and Services (CLASS) Act, which creates a voluntary opt-out payroll deduction that would provide people experiencing functional impairments with tiered benefits if they have contributed a monthly premium over five years.

Meanwhile, a bi-partisan group of Senate Finance committee members led by Ben Nelson (D-NE) is pushing back against the rush to complete a health reform bill by mid-August. Nelson, joined by Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), today released to Senate leaders a suggestion that the chamber adopt a more reasonable time frame in order to ensure the measure actually saves money in the long run. Nelson said on Thursday that getting the Finance Committee to report a bill may be achievable before lawmakers return to their home districts for the August recess. Amid pressure from President Obama, the Finance panel had been rushing to put out a bipartisan bill this week, but Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) said Thursday that he needed a few more days of negotiation.