Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Halfway There -- the Health Care Bill Makes it to the Senate floor?

The way I read it, the health care bill appears to be halfway to passage. Look at this legislative process stages summary below, this article, and this graphic from the New York Times to determine if I'm right. I think we're on step 9 of 18. God help us.

The Stages of the Legislative Process

1. Bill introduction

2. Referral to committee(s)

3. Committee hearings

4. Committee mark-up

5. Committee report

6. Scheduling legislation

7. House: special rules, suspension of the rules, or privileged matter

8. Senate: unanimous consent agreements or motions to proceed

9. Floor debate

10. Floor amendment

11. Vote on final passage

12. Reconciling differences between the house and senate

13. Amendments between the houses, or

14. Conference committee negotiations

15. Floor debate on conference report

16. Floor vote on conference report

17. Conference version presented to the president

18. President signs into law or allows bill to become law without his signature

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