Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the White House are still negotiating with key senators to reach agreement on outstanding issues so a manager's amendment can be finalized this week. This amendment is being designed to garner the 60 votes needed to pass H.R. 3590, the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," before the holidays. So far, more than 430 proposed amendments to the bill have been submitted, although only a handful will be presented for a vote on the Senate floor.
A proposal circulated last week that would have allowed uninsured individuals between the ages of 55 and 64 to purchase Medicare coverage has been abandoned after generating opposition from centrist Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), as well as from a group of Democrats representing states with relatively low Medicare payment rates.
It remains to be seen if there will be a vote before Christmas as originially planned. Stay tuned.......
