Senate Passes Reform Bill
by Astrid Fiano, DOTmed News Writer | December 24, 2009
A landmark bill
reaches significant milestone
reaches significant milestone
The Senate passed its version of health care reform legislation this morning just after 7:00 a.m.
After two test votes on passage for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act H.R. 3590 this week, both parties agreed the final vote would take place early Thursday morning. The two test votes were successful in reaching the required 60-vote majority, and the Christmas Eve vote was in favor of the bill. The next step is to merge the House and Senate bills, which will not commence for at least another month as both houses of Congress will be on vacation.
President Obama delayed his own vacation until after today's vote.
Presidential Press Secretary Robert Gibbs also commented in a press briefing, "Each of these bills [House and Senate] meets the principles that the President laid down in front of Congress and the American people back in a speech in September. Comprehensive health care reform is in each one of these bills -- help with the skyrocketing cost of premiums; help with the cost of health care; help with affordable insurance; help with insurance reforms. All of those things are in both of these bills, and the President looks forward to signing a bill making health care reform a reality."
Gibbs also said the President and his team will continue to work with leaders in the House and the Senate on policy options for the final law.
On Tuesday, the Senate approved the revised Manager's Amendment to H.R. 3590 with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) compromise provisions. The Amendment included elimination of the elective cosmetic surgery tax, eliminating the proposed enrollment fee for physicians who participate in Medicare and Medicaid, development of test programs on medical liability tort reform alternatives, and removal of a 0.5 percent offset payment cut for physician services.
Wednesday in the Senate, the results were 60 to 39 rejecting Senator John Ensign's (R-NV) claim that the individual mandate for citizens to acquire health insurance is an unconstitutional use of congressional power. The Senate also voted 60-39 to limit debate on the health care bill, setting up the vote for final passage today, although some senators argued for a vote Wednesday night, and others for a vote in January.
Other Legislation of Note
In the meantime during the last week, the Senate approved H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010. That appropriations bill has an added measure which delays the scheduled 21.2 percent reduction in Medicare's 2010 physician payments through February 28, 2010. (See, DM 11013).
After two test votes on passage for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act H.R. 3590 this week, both parties agreed the final vote would take place early Thursday morning. The two test votes were successful in reaching the required 60-vote majority, and the Christmas Eve vote was in favor of the bill. The next step is to merge the House and Senate bills, which will not commence for at least another month as both houses of Congress will be on vacation.
President Obama delayed his own vacation until after today's vote.
Presidential Press Secretary Robert Gibbs also commented in a press briefing, "Each of these bills [House and Senate] meets the principles that the President laid down in front of Congress and the American people back in a speech in September. Comprehensive health care reform is in each one of these bills -- help with the skyrocketing cost of premiums; help with the cost of health care; help with affordable insurance; help with insurance reforms. All of those things are in both of these bills, and the President looks forward to signing a bill making health care reform a reality."
Gibbs also said the President and his team will continue to work with leaders in the House and the Senate on policy options for the final law.
On Tuesday, the Senate approved the revised Manager's Amendment to H.R. 3590 with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) compromise provisions. The Amendment included elimination of the elective cosmetic surgery tax, eliminating the proposed enrollment fee for physicians who participate in Medicare and Medicaid, development of test programs on medical liability tort reform alternatives, and removal of a 0.5 percent offset payment cut for physician services.
Wednesday in the Senate, the results were 60 to 39 rejecting Senator John Ensign's (R-NV) claim that the individual mandate for citizens to acquire health insurance is an unconstitutional use of congressional power. The Senate also voted 60-39 to limit debate on the health care bill, setting up the vote for final passage today, although some senators argued for a vote Wednesday night, and others for a vote in January.
Other Legislation of Note
In the meantime during the last week, the Senate approved H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010. That appropriations bill has an added measure which delays the scheduled 21.2 percent reduction in Medicare's 2010 physician payments through February 28, 2010. (See, DM 11013).
