Senate and House Finalize Health Care Reconciliation Bill
Grassley introduces bill to apply new law to President.
Jason Vance
Published: Mar 26, 2010
On Thursday the Senate passed the reconciliation health bill by a vote of 56 to 43. Most amendments to the legislation were defeated; however two provisions concerning Pell grants for low-income students were deleted from the bill, requiring a re-vote by the House. Late Thursday night the House passed the legislation, which makes a few changes to the health care bill signed earlier this week by President Obama, by a count of 220 to 207.
Republicans have shifted their focus from delaying the bill with efforts to repeal the legislation. According to a spokesperson for Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., replacing the law with a common sense approach is the route leadership plans to take, with lowering the cost a top priority.
Senator Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has already introduced legislation to apply the health care reform to the President, other White House officials and Congressional staff. Grassley's Health Reform Accountability Act is a stand alone bill that would establish the accountability contained in the amendment that was rejected by the Senate.
"If Congress doesn't act, there's a double standard," Grassley said. "As it stands today, President Obama does not have to live under the Obama health care reforms, and neither does the Congressional staff that helped to write the overhaul. The message to the people at the grassroots is that the reforms are good enough for you, but not for us. Public officials who make the laws or lead efforts to have laws changed should live under those laws."
During a television interview with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell, Grassley did praise certain parts of the health care package including the tax exempt status of hospitals, more transparency between doctors and pharmaceutical companies, and provisions requiring non-profit organizations to give charitable care to earn their non-profit status. There is a consensus that these things should be done Grassley said, but those inclusions do not overcome the fact that the bad outweighs the good in this bill.
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