Keep Your Eyes On The Ball

During the Reagan era, as a board member of the National Health Lawyers Association (which subsequently morphed into the American Health Lawyers Assocation) I learned of the enormous power vested in House-Senate conference committees, where proposed legislation may be rewritten and the vote for the rewritten, often very different bill than that originally passed by the house or senate, is straight up and down.

Instead of getting excited about the political hoopla surrounding health reform, I suggest my readers keep their eyes on the ultimate conference committee and its rewrite of health reform. That's where deals will be made, the decisions hammered out, and health reform will either be gutted or given the muscle that it needs to work. Take a look at Ezra Klein/Jim Horney's analysis of conference committee functions for insight into this legislative powerhouse.