…they don’t even have a plan on how to get them! Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) insisted this weekend that she “will be able to get the votes needed to pass sweeping health care legislation in the House.” What this really means is that she does not have those votes right now. And if you were watching the television yesterday it quickly became apparent that the leadership in the House has no idea how they are going to get them. First Speaker Pelosi on This Week:
VARGAS: If — but the point is when it does finally come to vote on it in the House, you’re certain that you can muster the 217 votes that you need…even with the differences over abortion language? Things…
PELOSI: Yes.
VARGAS:… that there are members of the House who voted in favor of it before, who are now saying, “We can’t vote for this bill, because of the Senate language on abortion?
PELOSI: Well let me say I have this in three — just so you know how we sequence this. First we zero in on what the policy will be. And that is what we’ll be doing — following the president’s summit yesterday.
Secondly, we’ll see what the Senate can do. What is the substance? And what is the Senate prepared to do? And then we’ll go to the third step as to what my — my members will vote for.
Meanwhile, Pelosi’s second-in-command, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) was singing a different tune on Face the Nation:
BOB SCHIEFFER: We’re back now with our panel. Steny Hoyer, there’s been a lot of back and forth. Senators say the House has to go first. Some in the House are reluctant to go before the Senate goes. Are you, number one, willing to go first and don’t you have to?
REPRESENTATIVE STENY HOYER: We– whether we’re willing or not, we have to go first if we’re going to correct some of the things that the House disagrees with, correct, change so that we can reach agreement, the House will have to move first on some sort of corrections or reconciliation bill
The House Cloakroom: March 1 – 5, 2010
Analysis
The House will be in for a short week, only taking votes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The fallout from President Obama’s health care summit will continue to take center stage this week as negotiations continue to bring a health care vote to the House and Senate floors once again. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said to expect “further action on jobs” this week but it is unclear what exactly that means. Also expected on the floor next week is a bill out of the Education and Labor Committee, worrying some private schools as well as those who disagree with a Washington-centric one-size-fits-all policy.
Major Floor Action
- Expect legislation to extend some expiring provisions on things like unemployment insurance, highways, the “Doc Fix”, satellite TV and perhaps others.
- Still-to-be-defined jobs measures
- HR 4247 The Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in School Acts
Major Committee Action
- The House Appropriations Subcommittees will continue to hold hearings on proposed fiscal 2011 appropriations.
- The House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on Navy Shipbuilding.
- Several Committees will continue to hold hearings on the 2011 budget requests.
The Senate Cloakroom: March 1 – 5, 2010
Analysis
While the Senate focuses on the shiny object of government job creation and tax extenders, the real action will take place behind closed doors as Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and his deputies explore their options on Obamacare. Following last week’s health care summit and the President’s assertion that there are indeed “ philosophical disagreements,” the stage seems set for reconciliation. If the Senator Reid does go nuclear, the entire Congressional agenda, including talks on financial regulatory reform, could well be thrown into chaos.
Major Floor Action
- On Monday, the Senate will take up H.R.4213, which will serve as the vehicle an extension of jobless benefits, COBRA insurance and numerous health payments offered by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT). Numerous tax provisions will also be extended in the bill.
Major Committee Action
- The Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on chemical security.
- The Finance Committee will hold a hearing on the 2010 trade agenda.
- The Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on the 2011 Air Force budget.
- The Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing on the Clean Air Act.