No Firm Strategy Emerges Yet for Congress to Complete Health Care Reform

House and Senate Democratic leaders January 28th said President Obama's State of the Union speech might help re-energize Congress in its push to pass health care reform legislation. Getting the House to pass the Senate bill, along with approval of a smaller measure making changes to the Senate legislation favored by House lawmakers via the budget reconciliation process, remains under serious consideration.

Under reconciliation, legislation in the Senate can be approved with just 51 votes. That package was expected to include new language on the makeup of health insurance exchanges, changes to the so-called Cadillac tax on high cost health insurance plans in the Senate bill, and more generous federal subsidies for low- and middle-income individuals seeking to purchase insurance than contained in the Senate bill. House Speaker Pelosi (D-IA) said House Democratic leaders would soon lay out the content of the smaller bills, but “right now, we want to see where the Senate will go on its legislation.“