Reid Signals Congress May Miss Health-Bill Deadline

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid signaled that Congress may not send health-care legislation to President Barack Obama this year, fueling concern among some Democrats that the debate will continue into the 2010 election year.

“We’re not going to be bound by any timelines,” Reid told reporters in Washington yesterday after a closed-door meeting of all Senate Democrats.

With congressional elections coming up next year, some Democrats see risks because opponents of the health plan would have additional time to mobilize and lawmakers might focus more on getting re-elected.

“This is a battle against the clock,” said Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat. “When you’re in an election year, everything is seen through a different prism.”

The legislation, Obama’s top domestic priority, has been beset by delays in Congress because of Republican opposition and a lack of unity among Democrats.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky indicated he wants at least four weeks of floor debate on the measure, which would mark the biggest health-care expansion since the 1965 creation of the Medicare system for the elderly.

The overhaul is intended to extend health-insurance coverage to tens of millions of Americans, while curbing costs. Democrats are seeking a sweeping expansion of the Medicaid program for the poor and the creation of a government plan to compete against insurers such as Hartford, Connecticut-based Aetna Inc.

Obama’s Challenge

Obama originally challenged Congress to pass legislation by August and has said he wants to sign a bill into law by the end of the year.

Jim Manley, a spokesman for Reid, later issued a statement saying the majority leader’s goal remains to complete action this year and said the momentum is “unprecedented.”

“There is no reason why we can’t have a transparent and thorough debate in the Senate and still send a bill to the president by Christmas,” Manley said.

Reid is waiting for the Congressional Budget Office to complete cost estimates of his proposals as he struggles to win enough support among the 60 Senate votes controlled by Democrats to start debate.

Senator Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat who heads the finance committee, said there will be no CBO analysis this week.

House Starts Soon

The House of Representatives plans to begin debate late this week on its version of the legislation. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters yesterday a final vote could take place as early as Nov. 7 and no later than Nov. 10.

House leaders put the finishing touches on the legislation, filing an amendment late yesterday that made last-minute changes. Discussions were still under way on ways to reassure lawmakers opposed to abortion that the legislation wouldn’t permit government funds to be used to terminate pregnancies.

A White House spokesman said the administration was encouraged with the progress.

“We’re moving on the same timeline,” Dan Pfeiffer, deputy communications director, said. “The House plans to vote on the health-reform bill within days, and as Senator Reid said today, he shares the White House’s commitment to passing meaningful reform by Christmas.”

Still, limited time remains for legislative work this year. Senate Democratic leaders plan to recess for the week of Nov. 23 for Thanksgiving. Both chambers will be out of session for three days beginning Nov. 11 for Veterans’ Day.

Senate Delays

While legislation can move through the House in days, the ability of Senate opponents to delay the measure is likely to prolong the discussion there for weeks.

McConnell said health care is more important than many other lengthy debates, including legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security after the 2001 terrorist attacks. That was on the Senate floor for seven weeks.

“We are talking about restructuring one-sixth of our economy,” McConnell told reporters.

Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican known as “Dr. No” for his willingness to block legislation, said Republicans have “hundreds of ideas” for amendments and called the Democrats’ bill a “target-rich environment.”

Once the House and Senate act, it’s likely a House-Senate conference to resolve differences will be protracted, said Paul Heldman, a policy analyst with Potomac Research Group in Washington.

How to Pay

A big issue is how to pay for an overhaul that will cost $900 billion to $1 trillion, Heldman said. The House wants to impose a surtax on the wealthy that some Senate Democrats are resisting, while the Senate is eyeing a 40 percent excise tax on high-end insurance plans that’s opposed by House Democrats.

Heldman said House and Senate negotiators took more than four months to agree on a final bill during the 2003 debate over a Medicare prescription-drug benefit. If health care slips into 2010, Democrats might not face political risks if they can agree before the end of March, he said.

“As long as they’re making progress and they can demonstrate that, it’s not necessarily an impediment to getting a bill done,” Heldman said.

Ammunition for Opponents

Opponents could get some added traction if the debate moves into January, said Ross Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Among other things, the CBO will issue a new federal budget deficit projection, which would give fresh ammunition to Republicans who say the Democratic legislation costs too much.

“That could well shift the debate,” Baker said.

The CBO said last month the budget deficit for fiscal 2009 was $1.4 trillion, the highest level since 1945.

Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the No. 3 Democratic leader, said it’s still possible both chambers could finish before the year is out.

“We’re going to spend lots of time getting this done, even if it means nights and weekends,” he said.