Word: billings
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Though many provisions critical to reform will likely be cut under this process, their displacement should not be too heavily bemoaned. While the scope of the resulting bill will probably be far narrower than reformers had hoped, we believe that Congress should take up these crucial measures in the future, when there is less antagonism between the two parties and more opportunity for compromise. History leaves reason for optimism. The original Social Security bill in 1935 covered far fewer people than it does today, but efforts in subsequent years capitalized upon its passage to include addenda that expanded its welfare...
However, another option that remains is reconciliation, a complicated legislative procedure that limits debate and amendments on bills and requires a mere 51 votes for passage. While this would circumvent the challenge brought upon by Brown’s election, it would not only be undemocratic but also, according to those familiar with congressional rules, would result in a watered-down bill missing key provisions to expand coverage and protect American insurance buyers. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad explained that “insurance market reforms, all the changes designed to encourage wellness and prevention,” among...
...spirit of compromise, Democratic leaders may have to restrain their idealism and succumb to the political reality that Senator-elect Brown represents. Brown has vowed to kill the current version of the bill, leaving the Democrats with no choice but to change it or lament its demise...
...cannot be denied that the central tenets of the bill are controversial and politically-divisive; the near-perfect party-line vote late last year demonstrated that Republicans stiffly oppose the current, Democrat-dominated version of the bill. The politically expedient action to take now is to remove the provisions that make the bill most intolerable to Republicans in hopes that some middle ground can be reached. While neither party will be completely satisfied with the final product, the important thing is that it will stand the greatest chance of codification and will be most palatable to the general public while...
Finally, both parties must make a more conscious effort to explain the details and potential impact of their legislative work. No American can be expected to peruse the 2,000-page document to formulate an opinion on the bill. This bill will dramatically affect all Americans and therefore must be made accessible and comprehensible to the public. Elected leaders must take it upon themselves to ensure that their constituents are knowledgeable about the significance of reform, in an accurate, unbiased manner...