Obama, House Dems finalize decision to bypass formal health care conference
Posted: January 5th, 2010 10:26 PM ET
From CNN's Dana Bash and Deirdre Walsh
Washington (CNN) - Two congressional Democratic leadership sources tell CNN that President Obama and House and Senate Democratic leaders finalized a decision Tuesday to bypass a formal House and Senate conference to meld their health care bills, and instead will hold informal negotiations in order to sidestep possible Republican delays of the process.
The move has long been expected, but one of the Democratic leadership sources says the president used Tuesday evening's White House meeting with Democratic congressional leaders to formally bless the idea.
In order to hold a formal conference, conferees – members of the House and Senate – must be appointed by both bodies, with resolutions passed by both the Senate and the House. Democratic leadership aides argue that getting those resolutions passed could delay and even derail Democratic efforts, because Republicans would be allowed to offer amendments and hold lengthy debates on the resolutions to appoint conferees.
Instead, White House, House and Senate Democratic leaders and their key committee chairmen will informally meet to find compromise between the two health care bills.
The White House, criticized for months by many Democrats for having too much of a hands-off approach to health care, has promised the president and his aides to take a more "prominent role" in the final health care talks, according to a Democratic leadership source.
<SNIP>
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/05/obama-house-dems-finalize-decision-to-bypass-formal-health-care-conference/
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
