Senate Cloakroom: Jan. 25 – 29
Analysis –
As Senators grapple with how to salvage health care reform, they simultaneously want to change their legislative focus to jobs and the economy. Before they can do that, they have to contend with a record $1.9 trillion debt limit increase. The debate, which is expected to last all week, will highlight our looming entitlement crisis, excessive spending and the increasingly aggressive involvement of government in our economy.
Major Senate Action –
The Senate will continue to debate the debt limit increase (H J Res 45). Several amendments are expected, including one on EPA regulations, spending caps and PAYGO are possible. Interestingly, the much hyped, fatally flawed, Conrad-Gregg fiscal task force seems to lack support. In response, the administration has proposed a lame duck commission.
Major Committee Action –
- The Homeland Security Committee will hold another hearing on the Christmas Day terrorist attack.
- The Budget Committee will hold a hearing on the outlook for the federal budget and economy.
- The Armed Services Committee will hold a closed door hearing on cyber security.
House Cloakroom: Jan. 25 – 29
Analysis –
The House is in for a very short week focusing on two land bills which failed to pass the chamber the pervious week under suspension of the rules (requires a two-thirds majority to pass). Behind the scenes the status of the health care bill remains in question following the election of Senator-elect Scott Brown in Massachusetts and should be a topic of discussion across the Hill this week. Expect lawmakers to pivot to job creation measures in the coming weeks as the economy continues to struggle and unemployment remains high. Make sure to check out the work by Heritage analyst James Sherk explaining the current unemployment situation here.
Major House Action –
- HR 3726 Castle Nugent National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2010, which failed under suspension last week.
- Similar legislation to HR 3538 Idaho Wilderness Water Facilities Act, which failed under suspension last week.
- President Obama State of the Union Speech on Wednesday, January 27th.
Major Committee Action –
- In preparation for release of the budget on February 1st the House Budget Committee will be holding a hearing with Dr. Douglas Elmendorf, Director of the Congressional Budget Office to discuss the budget and the economic outlook.
- The House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on how the U.S. should respond to Al Qaida.
- And lastly, the House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans, and Wildlife will hold a hearing on HR 4416, the Great Ape Conservation Reauthorization Amendments Act of 2010. Not kidding…
This Monday the Senate voted on two amendments that determined whether savings from Medicare will be used to enhance the solvency of the financially troubled Medicare program or be used to finance new government health programs and additional spending. Once again, the lesson for taxpayers is clear: Pay no attention to Senate rhetoric on health policy. Pay close attention to Senate action.
Gregg Amendment on Medicare Solvency: Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) offered an amendment that would have required any new spending or revenue reductions stemming from the Senate health care bill to be fully offset by other savings before being enacted. Both the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of the Actuary would have to certify savings before spending could begin.
Sen. Gregg’s amendment would ensure that any savings from Medicare or Social Security would have to be applied back to those programs.
Gregg’s amendment highlights the issues raised by Senator Michael Bennett’s (D-CO) amendment, which passed early last week. Sen. Bennett’s amendment required savings from Medicare to increase the solvency of Medicare—it did not, however, require all savings from Medicare to be applied to the solvency of Medicare.
Gregg’s amendment would have clarified the policy that all savings from Medicare would be used to enhance Medicare solvency. Sen. Gregg’s amendment failed by a vote of 43-56.
Pryor Amendment on Patient Feedback in Health Care: Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) introduced an amendment to create an online enrollee satisfaction survey system as part of the new federally designed health exchange that would exist in the states. This would allow enrollees to evaluate qualified health plans in the exchange, as long as the plan enrolled more than 500 participants. It would make it easy to compare enrollee satisfaction levels between comparable plans. Sen. Pryor’s amendment was agreed to with a vote of 98-0.
It should be noted that health plans that are qualified to compete in the exchange will have to meet extensive requirements both at the state and federal level. This means that most plans will not differ much from one to another. Without a wide variety of choice and competition between health plans, the right to choose the benefits and medical procedures that one wants or needs, “consumer satisfaction” information means less than it would in a free market system, where consumers, not government officials, make all the key decisions in the system.
Kathryn Nix currently is a member of the Young Leaders Program at the Heritage Foundation. For more information on interning at Heritage, please visit: http://www.heritage.org/about/departments/ylp.cfm