JUNE 2009
Congressional leaders confident they can deliver final product to President Obama by the year's end
Comprehensive health care reform could become a reality this year.
Leaders in the House and Senate have expressed confidence that they will be able to pass legislation by Labor Day. This timetable would demand that leaders of key congressional committees introduce legislation in June, deliberate throughout July and vote before leaving for the August recess.
Two Senate committees are each racing to draft legislation: the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee led by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), and the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), which holds jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid programs. Despite rumors of conflict between the two influential senators, Kennedy and Baucus released a joint statement on May 30 pledging to "seek common ground on health reform legislation."
In the House, where efforts are more low-key, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) of the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. George Miller (D-CA) of the Education and Labor Committee, and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) of the Energy and Commerce Committee will be among the key leaders pushing reform.
President Obama has also been working to build momentum for achieving health care reform, meeting with key legislators and leaders in the health industry, even securing a commitment from six major health industry groups to help reduce national healthcare spending by $2 trillion over 10 years, or 1.5 percent a year. According to the summary of proposals released on June 1, the groups hope to achieve the massive reduction by improving the delivery of medical care, improving the care of patients with chronic diseases, and improving administrative functions.
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