Healthcare meeting dates and committees in congress

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this is from AFL-CIO and deals with dates, times, committees in congress on healthcare:


Congressional Schedules for Passage of Health Care Reform Legislation
(as of April 25, 2009)
Listed below is an outline of the Senate and House committee schedules on health care reform as is best known/estimated at the moment.
I. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A. Three lead committees in the House of Representatives are working on a coordinated track (the ‘tri-committee’)
• Key Committees and Chairpersons
Ways and Means: Charles Rangel, Chairman
Energy and Commerce: Henry Waxman, Chairman
Education and Labor: George Miller, Chairman
• Committees are working to develop a single bill/bill outline that will serve as the starting point for each committee’s work
Each committee has jurisdiction over different components of the legislation and would act only on areas within their jurisdiction
• It is recognized that the product of each committee would be different as a result of amendments made in mark-ups
• In the House, committee action is expected to begin in each committee’s relevant subcommittee
Ways and Means: Pete Stark, Health Subcommittee Chairman
Energy and Commerce: Frank Palone, Health Subcommittee Chairman
Education and Labor: Robert Andrews, Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman
• The House is anticipating moving the legislation under ‘regular order’, which means the minority party will have ample opportunity to offer amendments

B. Current schedule for passage of health care reform legislation by House
• April: Committee hearings and drafting legislation
• May: Committee hearings and drafting legislation
• June: continue with hearings
CBO estimates (comprehensive) on legislation expected by early June
• June: Mark-up in subcommittee
• Post July 4th recess: Full committees mark-up legislation (possibly July 6 - 14)
• Mid-July: Committee work combined into a single bill for floor consideration
• Mid/late-July: Votes in full House on legislation
• August recess (8/1 – 9/4): Conference committee work to combine House-passed and Senate-passed legislation
• September: Votes by full House and Senate on conference report/single bill
HC Cong Schedules April-Sept 2009.doc Page 1 of 2 HC Cong Schedules April-Sept 2009.doc Page 2 of 2
UNITED STATES SENATE
Although discussions are taking place across the two lead committees (Finance and HELP) of the Senate, the current expectation is that the two lead committees will begin their work with different legislation (committee ‘marks’) and combine their committee products post-committee / pre-Senate floor action.

A. Finance Committee
• April / May: Finance Committee is rolling out reform in 3 pieces, each with roundtable discussions with 6 to 9 experts and open to public, followed by closed-door walk through with Members
􀂾 Delivery system reform:
􀂃 Roundtable: April 21 (held)
􀂃 Walk through: April 29
􀂾 Coverage:
􀂃 Roundtable: May 5
􀂃 Walk through: May 12
􀂾 Revenue/Financing:
Roundtable: May 14 or 20th
Walk through: May 20 June 2

• April / May: Drafting of legislation by committee
􀂾 Congressional Budget Office currently working on estimating portions of legislation
• June: Mark-up of legislation in Committee
􀂾 Finance Committee does mark-up of conceptual language (not legislative language) after 48 hours notice/release of language
• Late-June: The legislation from the Finance and HELP Committees would be combined into one bill

B. Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee
• April and May: Continue with hearings and drafting legislation
􀂾 Congressional Budget Office currently working on estimating portions of legislation
• May 22: File bill language (Chairman’s mark)
􀂾 HELP Committee does mark-up of bill (legislative) language after 72 hours notice/release of language
• May 29: Receive amendments from Committee Members

• June 1: Begin Committee mark-up of legislation

• Late-June: The legislation from the HELP and Finance Committees would be combined into one bill
C. Full Senate Action

July: Votes by full Senate on health care reform legislation

August recess (8/1 – 9/4): Conference committee work to combine House-passed and Senate-passed legislation

September: Votes by full House and Senate on conference report/single bill