RUSH: Now, here’s what I, ladies and gentlemen, am hearing. We have some spies that are able to fill me in on the House Democrat caucus meeting this morning, and in their caucus meeting this morning, the House Democrats were told that there will definitely be a House vote in the next week on health reform, and that all members need to be prepared to stay in next weekend and through the following week until the vote happens. She’s not letting them leave, even if they have to sit there and debate an algae bill.
They were told, members of the Democrat caucus were told this morning, that the rule would be closed providing for one vote — and that one vote would include the cramdown. I think ‘reconciliation’ is the wrong word to use here. ‘Reconciliation’ sounds problem-solving and really sweet and kind. ‘Oh, there are people getting along.’ This is a cramdown what’s happening here. The cramdown provisions are amendments to the Senate Health Reform Bill and the student aid package. The student aid package is going to be thrown in there, so it’s the student loan bill and the Senate-passed reform bill. Now the Senate bill vote is not separate. It’s wrapped into the single vote. In other words, they’re not going to pass a Senate bill by itself.
They’re going to ‘deem’ it passed. I guess they’re back to this. They’re going to have one vote on the Senate bill (and the things they add to it) in the House of Representatives. So when members vote for or against the cramdown package, they will also be voting for or against the Senate-passed health reform bill. Now once passed, the Senate bill will go to the president for signing and the reconciliation provisions will go to the Senate where they will need to pass unchanged. That is the procedure. Now, our spy said that while the leadership has not yet shared the legislative language of the add-ons, they have been told that the cramdown package has deleted the Cornhusker kickback and the Gator deal, but the Louisiana deal and the Connecticut hospital deal are still included.
So Nelson loses his thing. The Gator thing is out. But Mary Landrieu gets to keep her Louisiana Purchase and the Connecticut hospital deal is still included in there. The Cadillac tax was changed so that it only addresses individuals making $250,000 a year or more. Our spy also said that the DME tax would be 2.9%. The abortion language has not been changed from the Senate bill. So they’re basically just going to say, ‘Screw Stupak.’ And the spy also said he’s not sure yet whether Pelosi has the votes, but he thinks she’s close. This is all over the ballpark. It depends on who you talk to. Lobbyists who are close to this are saying it’s below 50/50 this thing is going to pass. Anyway, all the details are going to be rolled out this weekend or Monday, and that’s the procedure. That’s what we’ve been told is going to happen: A vote within a week.