A House vote on a reconciliation measure to pass health care reform may happen this week or next, according to House Leaders.

On the House floor Friday, Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), while debating fiercely with Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) over the propriety of reconciliation, stated that the House Budget Committee would mark up the current Senate bill (passed last December) this coming Monday. Following the mark-up, Hoyer said, "I expect thereafter the Rules Committee to meet, as is consistent with the rules, to prepare a reconciliation bill and to report it to this floor. I expect them to report a rule to consider that reconciliation bill, and I expect that reconciliation bill to be considered." Hoyer also stated that the House would likely be working through next weekend. The House will be working on both getting support for the Senate bill and making changes and additions through a reconciliation measure.

On Thursday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had told the press that a "productive meeting" was held at the White House with Nancy-Ann DeParle, the President's adviser on health care. Congressional members discussed the President's health care proposals during the meeting. Pelosi said that the House Rules Committee will review a final analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. (On Thursday the CBO increased the cost projection for the Senate bill by $4 billion to $875 billion over 10 years.)

"It's important - what was emphasized over and over again, and the presentation by the Rules Committee emphasized, the fact that the reconciliation bill will not be about health care reform, health insurance reform, in its totality, it will be only about the changes that will be made to the Senate bill. And those reflect the President's proposal, which honor many of the requests we had in the House," Pelosi said, adding that the House would have a week to debate the bill after the CBO report.

The language of the reconciliation bill has not been released as yet, however Pelosi indicated that the special Medicaid funding for Nebraska in the Senate bill would be removed. An AMA Health Systems Reform Bulletin also reports that the tax on "Cadillac" health plans will be modified to apply only to individuals with incomes over $250,000.

Meanwhile, President Obama will continue his public campaign for support of a health care reform vote by speaking about health care at Strongsville, OH on Monday.

Speaker Peloisi's comments: http://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/pressreleases?id=1585

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