White House photo.
The rest of today promises to be big for health care reform. At 5:00 p.m., Sen. Harry Reid plans to explain the Senate’s merged health care bill to his Democratic colleagues at a caucus meeting. The bill will probably be unveiled to the public later in the evening, and the crucial Congressional Budget Office “score” of the bill—estimating its costs and benefits—is expected sometime today, too.
TPM’s Brian Beutler reports that Reid may adhere to the 72-hour rule for public comment on legislation before trying to pass a motion to proceed with debate—something that requires 60 votes and will be the first big test for the Senate bill. Beutler also reminds readers that a Republican stunt calling for reading the entire bill aloud is likely to delay actual debate until after senators return from next week’s Thanksgiving recess.
You can expect all sorts of ludicrous comments, misinformation, and silliness about the Senate bill all over cable television, the internet, and the print media starting, well, just about now.
