Question. If the HCR bill goes to conference, what members of the Senate

[suffragette]

and House would be working on the reconciliation?

Asking because I wonder who would be shaping the final form of the bill.

edited because I really need more coffee this morning before I type

[regnaD kciN]

1. It really doesn't matter...

...because, if the bill clears the Senate with a 60-40 cloture vote, conferees will know they can't lose a single vote, so the Lieberman Senate bill will be the model.

At the moment, I'm more concerned that the conference will take the Senate bill and make it worse (imposing the harsher penalties for noncompliance with the mandate found in the House bill, for instance, will have millions of low- and middle-income earners still unable to afford insurance subject to a hefty surtax, whereas the Senate bill would exempt them from penalties).

[FBaggins]

2. The Lieberman bill can't pass the House

I don't think there are enough Democrats there willing to go without any public option... and you won't pick up Republicans if they smell blood in the water.

[kctim]

4. It would be

political suicide for any Republican or moderate Dem who votes for it.

[suffragette]

3. I'm worried about the same

which is part of why I'm wondering about this.

I look at the posts by people saying there's still hope for the final bill to reflect the House version more than the Senate POS version.

But that would all depend on the people at the table and their motivation, wouldn't it?

And if Baucus, Lieberman, or any of the other insurance shills are at that table, I shudder to think of what may emerge.