The healthcare debate

I've been spending a lot of time in bookshops around Washington DC - and have brought back a few to keep me busy over the coming months. A few days ago I can across one which I hadn't seen before. It is Tom Daschle's "Getting it Done: How Obama and Congress Finally Broke the Stalemate to Make Way for Health Care Reform". Now there are more than enough books on the healthcare debate - and as a UK citizen the ins and outs of what is and isn't covered - has limited attraction. [I benefit from the British NHS, a system which is available to UK citizens on the basis of need - and has well served my family since it was set up over 60 years ago - and none of us have had worry about whether a job loss would mean loss of cover - and we've never had to deal with an insurance company telling us that we've reached the limit of our coverage. ]

But Tom Daschle's book attracted me - because it describes the process by which the legislation made its way through Congress. I will be reading the book in full in the future - but had the opportunity to skim read it whilst taking coffee at the Borders store in the Pentagon Center last week. There's lots there for someone who is interested in how Congress works in practice - and for the historian who seeks to follow the way Congress have evolved since the early 1970s (that would be me!)

Well worth a read.

Today in Washington

Snow fell in the Washington area overnight - but then a drop in temperature left roads very icy. As a result most schools and local government buildings are opening a couple of hours late.

The House of Representatives returns - and gets down to "repealing" the Health Care legislation which was passed last year. As often happens the legislation has been given a very emotive title - something that would not be done in Britain - it is the "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act". I'd love to hear what the clerks at Westminster would say if such a contentiously titled bill were submitted to them!

The Republicans have the votes to pass the bill through the House of Representatives - they remain in a minority in the Senate, so its not likely to pass there. Even if it did, the President could veto it. That veto can be overridden - but only if, in both Houses - "two thirds" of both Houses require to back such an override. Don't hold your breath.

But a heated couple of days are expected - the bill has already been attacked on two fronts

1 the bill has been estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to raise public spending - see CBO report here - so will worsen the deficit

2 the closed rule for debate - restricts debate - contrary to the promises by the new majority to do away with such restrictions on debate.

So it will be interesting!