Congressional Health Reform Timing
Congressional leaders have affirmed their commitment to passing comprehensive health reform this year. This ambitious timetable will take a coordinated effort among the many committees in the House and Senate that share jurisdiction over the myriad of issues that could comprise health reform legislation, including insurance market reforms, health care cost containment, and quality improvement, among many others. To that end, the chairmen of the House Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor sent a letter to President Obama on March 11, 2009 vowing to coordinate their committees’ actions so that a House vote can take place before the August recess. Likewise, Senate Finance Chairman Baucus declared March 10 that the Finance Committee is striving to pass a health reform bill by July 4. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee also is expected to work throughout the spring on provisions within its jurisdiction.
