Senate Finance Wraps Up Health Reform Mark Up Early This Morning and Planning Committee Vote Next Week

The Senate Finance Committee wrapped up its debate on more than 600 amendments to its health care “conceptual” overhaul early Friday. After working through hundreds of amendments to Baucus’ original $900 billion health care bill over the past two weeks, the Finance Committee is expected to review preliminary CBO scoring on the amended Chairman’s mark before a final vote by the on Tuesday. When the marked up bill comes up for vote next week in the committee, it is expected to pass along party lines with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) as the only Republican who may align with the Democrats in favor of the Committee’s bill.

The next phase of moving toward a floor vote on health care reform in the Senate involves merging the Finance bill with a bill previously passed by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will be directing the melding of the Senate Finance and HELP versions of health care reform in his office along The word is that his efforts will also include top White House officials and Finance Chairman Baucus, HELP Chairman Harkin (D-IA) and Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) who was the acting the acting HELP Committee Chair with his work on a health reform bill. That “merged” health reform bill require that a Senate bill be drafted in actual “statutory language,” requiring another CBO scoring which may take up to two weeks. This timeframe conflicts with Majority Leader Reid’s announcement that the Senate will forgo its annual Columbus Day week-long recess beginning October 12th because the final Senate bill will be brought to the floor that week.