Congress in Session
September 01, 2009
Congress reconvened Tuesday, September 8 after a month-long recess. Both the Senate and the House will focus on health care reform in the coming weeks.
Each House Committee—Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means—passed a version of health care reform, H.R. 3200, “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act” prior to the August recess, but the debate over the government-run public insurance option continues. House leadership continues to combine each committee’s bill before bringing it to the floor for a vote.
The Senate is awaiting legislation from the Senate Finance Committee before it can move forward with a health care reform package. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee passed legislation on July 15. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) expressed confidence that Senate Democrats would unite and pass a health-care overhaul by Thanksgiving.
