Floor Action
On March 21, the House approved, 219-212, the Senate version of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590). The Senate passed the measure in December. The House had passed its version of health care legislation, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, in November.
The House also passed, 220-211, the Reconciliation Act (H.R. 4872), which would make changes to H.R. 3590 once that bill is enacted. The Budget Committee approved the reconciliation bill earlier in the week. The president is expected to sign H.R. 3590 while H.R. 4872 now must head to the Senate for its consideration.
Budget Committee Action
On March 15, the House Budget Committee approved, 21-16, legislation, the Reconciliation Act. The measure incorporates provisions from H.R. 3200, the America Affordable Health Choices Act, which the House Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor, and Ways and Means Committees passed last year.
Although the reconciliation process does not permit the committee to amend the legislation, several committee members offered motions to instruct the Rules Committee as it crafts the text of the bill for consideration by the full House. The committee approved:
· a motion by Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) to instruct the Rules Committee to permit an amendment to ban insurance discrimination against individuals with pre-existing health conditions, by voice vote;
· a motion by Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-MA) to instruct the Rules Committee to permit an amendment to prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage, including maternity care, to women because of pre-existing conditions, such as domestic violence injuries, pregnancy, or history of caesarian sections, by voice vote.
The committee rejected, 17-19, an amendment by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) to instruct the Rules Committee to permit an amendment to restore the House-passed language regarding abortion funding.