WH will probably delay signing ceremony until the reconciliation bill passes the Senate

[liberalpragmatist]

According to the Wall Street Journal blurb, Obama will just quietly sign the Senate bill into law Sunday night or so, assuming it passes the House. He'll delay a big, formal signing ceremony and speech until the reconciliation bill passes. This is so that the pressure stays on the Senate to actually pass the bill.

It's going to result in a very odd spectacle though. While the reconciliation bill is absolutely worth passing, it really is just a "fix." The main bill - by far the most important of the two - is the Senate bill. This means that the largest expansion of the welfare state since Medicare and Medicaid is going to be quietly signed into law without any pomp or extended remarks, and there will instead be a huge signing ceremony for a small bill that scrubs the Cornhusker Kickback. (And, to be fair, reforms the student loan program.)

Link: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/03/18/health-care-when-might-the-celebration-begin/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wsj%2Fwashwire%2Ffeed+%28WSJ.com%3A+Washington+Wire%29

[DFLforever]

1. That make sense. it's simply a formality.

The less attention to the old Senate bill, the better

[LonePirate]

2. How long is the Senate expected to debate the reconciliation bill?

Are there any estimates on how long the Rethugs are going to drag this out as they continue to delay and obstruct?

[DrToast]

3. It will be mostly over on Sunday, but I'd rather save the celebration for when it's all done

[Clio the Leo]

5. Unfortunately it's not....

..... the GOP have all but conceded the House vote and are saving their "last stand" for the reconciliation process. They're gonna try to Byrd rule it to death claiming that "40% of what's in the reconciliation bill wont be approved by the parliamentarian."

What the House will be voting on Sunday is conditional based on the Senate passing the fix.

We still have a mile or two left before we sleep.

[Marsala]

7. No, the original Senate bill will be law once Obama signs it on Sunday

The House may only be "deeming" it passed, but it still counts as passed. Obama's signature will make it official. The Republicans can only try to obstruct the reconciliation fix. If they succeed, they will have saved the Cornhusker Kickback and foiled the student loans reform.

[Clio the Leo]

8. Yeah, but, as of yesterday, he didn't want to sign anything until it was all passed...

see..

http://www.youtube.com/user/whitehouse#p/u/0/dvxETJGdeX0

24min mark "I believe HC will pass on the House on Sunday and shortly after it will pass the Senate and then the President will be able to sign all of it into law."

and the 39:30 min mark where Gibbs says that if the parliamentarian needs for the President to sign the bill before the Senate can act he'll do it (implying that he wouldn't otherwise.)

The fix isn't a BONUS ... not only are there the issues that you mentioned above, but it will determine whether or not an additional 1 million people will be able to get coverage.

Still a lot of work to do.

[Jennicut]

4. This is the right approach. Keep the pressure up on the Senate to pass the reconciliation

bill. The changes are extremely important.

[davidpdx]

6. I really hope the sweetheart deals get thrown out

especially the ones that favor certain states. What a crock of shit that they are getting large amounts of money for holding legislation hostage.