Health Care Reform Passes House...
The Senate Bill Passes the House... 219 to 212
The Reconciliation Act of 2010 Passes the House... 220 to 211
Published March 21, 2010, 11:25 pm, CST
by Diane W. Collins
dcollins@marketingweb.com
UPDATE:
March 21, 2010,9:23 pm , CST
March 21, 2010,9:41 pm , CST
March 21, 2010, 10:22 pm, CST, 10:30 pm, CST
Speaker Pelosi has entered the House to make remarks. General debate will end shortly... then, a call for the vote on the Senate Health Care bill followed by The Reconciliation Act of 2010.
The vote has been called for the Senate Bill. 
If passed it is expected to be signed into law later tonight by the President. The House will then move to the Reconciliation Act of 2010 with a motion to recommit which would send the "bill-of-fixes" back to committee for further consideration. (House Republicans last stand at stopping the progress of the bill.) Should the motion to recommit fail, the House will move to vote on The Reconciliation Act of 2010 as it stands.
If passed, The Reconciliation Act of 2010 will be sent to the Senate where there is no guarantee of passage. However, the Senate Health Care Reform bill (Christmas Eve Bill) will have been passed by the House and as mentioned will probably be signed into law tonight by the President... warts and all.
The Senate Health Care Reform (Christmas Eve) bill has passed the House. The final vote was 219 to 212.
They move now to the motion to recommit presented by Rep. David Camp (R-MI) resting on the strength of the Republican resistance to the bill and the defense of the Hyde Amendment which prohibits Federal funds from being used for abortion. The motion to recommit is citing the need to correct the Reconciliation Act in this manner stating the Executive Order does not provide that protection. Rep. Stupak has just stood up against the motion as the author of the Stupak Amendment stating the motion to recommit is no more than a Republican ploy to kill the bill. Stupak earlier this afternoon changed his vote to a "yes" when President Obama offered an Executive Order to prevent Federal funds from being used for abortion. Stupak calls for House to vote no on the motion to recommit.
Recorded vote is called for on motion to recommit. The motion has failed.
The House now moves to the vote on The Reconciliation Act of 2010.
The Reconciliation Act of 2010 passes the House 220 to 211.
Speaker Pelosi and President Obama are expected to hold a press conference tonight with the President signing the Senate Health Care Reform bill into law.
The Senate will most likely take up the Reconciliaton Act on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. It appears the President will not be signing the Senate Health Care Bill until Tuesday.
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UPDATE:
March 21, 2010,5:23 pm , CST
Video added 9:00 pm, CST
Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) Remarks As Debate Continues
The vote on the "Rules for Debate" is the first vote of three in passing the health care reform legislation. They have just reached the 216 mark on the rule so they are assured of proceeding to general debate with regard to the Senate Health Care (Christmas Eve) bill. (The final vote on the "Rules of Debate" was 224 to 206.) Following debate a vote will take place on the Senate bill first and then the Reconciliation Act of 2010 will be taken up.
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UPDATE:
March 21, 2010,3:23 pm , CST
Stupak Flips Vote over Executive Order... Was it Worth It?
Stupack changes his vote to "Yes" based on promise of President's Executive Order to be signed after the House vote. Reportedly, the order would direct no Federal funding shall be provided for abortion. The question has been over underlying private health insurance policies women would be required to buy as supplements to provide for abortion.
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Executive Order Meaningless? |
The Executive Order is said to remove any doubt, federal funds cannot be used.
However, one must remember the extent to which an Executive Order survives. Also, as Rep. James Sensenbrenner points out, an Executive Order does not create law. Questions as to the substance of the bill to which the Order applies and its purpose as well as the term of the President put the Executive Order's enforcement and length of enforcement in question. Now, it is up to the vote on the floor of the House. Is Stupak truly the deciding vote? Did he flip for nothing? We continue to fight. Stand up America. Flimsy technicalities, technical dishonesty... Eric Cantor is right. Malfeasance!
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UPDATE:
March 21, 2010,2:53 pm , CST
Current vote on point of order regarding earmarks in legislation. Question that was asked was would the earmarks remaining in the Senate bill and not addressed by reconciliation be stripped out when passed in the House. Vote is in process.
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UPDATE:
March 21, 2010,1:37 pm , CST
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) - It's the Bill Not Health Care Reform
Speeches on the floor continue to be emotive. The issue is not the need for reform. The issue is the bill, its overwhelming cost, the machinations used to get it passed. Paul Ryan is currently making that very point. A number of votes on procedure first, then the rules vote with regard to reconciliation. Following that, our understanding is there will be first a vote on the Senate bill and then the Reconciliation Act.
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UPDATE:
March 21, 2010,12:45 pm , CST
Abortion... Yes, We're This Freaked Out
Abortion issue may be the deciding vote. Question: Is it possible for the President to wait until Rep. Debbie Wasserman - Schultz (D-FL) and her contingent vote before signing an Executive Order stating no Federal funds are to be used? Is it possible for him to get word to the House floor? That could really tick off some Democrats but it may be what Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) needs to vote yes. Is it possible?
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UPDATE:
March 21, 2010,12:18 pm , CST
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) Remarks on Reform
The House of Representatives began today's session at 1:00 pm, EST (12:00, noon CST) to vote on legislation that may enact far reaching health care reform. Three separate issues concerning reform will be brought to the floor; the Senate Health Care Reform bill passed December 24, 2009; the procedural rule allowing for Reconciliation; and the Reconciliation Act of 2010. Yesterday, the House Rules Committee stated the Democrats would not employ the Slaughter Solution which would "deem" passed the Senate Health Care Reform bill simultaneously with Reconciliation.
We will cover the entire debate. The drama will be high with votes to pass still unsure. Also, it is important to remember should the Senate Health Care Reform "Christmas Eve" bill and The Reconciliation Act of 2010 ("bill -of-fixes") pass the House there is no certainty the Senate will pass reconciliation next week. Nor, is there any certainty the Senate will pass the House Reconciliation Act of 2010 without their own amendments which, of course, would then send the bill back to the House. In the meantime, the Senate Health Care bill without the "bill-of-fixes" could be signed into law by the President. That is a primary concern.
We'll be adding commentary and video as the House session progresses.
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