The Senate’s 60-39 passage of a sweeping health care reform bill is by no means a guarantee that legislation will end up on President Barack Obama’s desk anytime soon.
While Senators are committed to beginning negotiations with the House on their version of the bill soon after Christmas, it could be difficult to come to agreement before February, which means the president would have to deliver his state of the union address without being able to tout health care reform as a major accomplishment.
Negotiations will be complicated by House demands.
House liberals are already demanding that the final bill include many things the Senate bill excludes, including a robust government-run insurance option and the lifting of the antitrust exemption enjoyed to insurance companies. House Democrats also oppose the excise tax on expensive insurance plans that the Senate imposes to pay for their $871 billion bill.
Even Senate Democrats are planning on pushing for the public option to be put back into the bill.
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., announced shortly after the 7 a.m. vote on final passage that he is “deeply disappointed” the public option was excluded and he will push to have it included in the final draft.
Republicans are hoping that the the the public will register their dissatisfaction with the bill over the break, thus making it harder for moderate Democrats to vote for final passage.
‚ÄúI guarantee you the people who voted for this bill are going to get an earful when they finally get home for the first time since Thanksgiving,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said. “They know there is widespread opposition to this monstrosity.”
Sen. Charles Schumer, D.N.Y., said he believes public opposition was fueled by Republicans and will taper off.
“When people learn what’s actually in the bill and all the good it does, it is going to become more and more popular because it is good for America, good for the American people, and a true symbol of what we can do if we all pull together,” Schumer said after the vote.
