–Senate Majority Leader: Republicans ‘Not Serious’ About Fixing Bill
–Democrats Working To Defeat GOP Amendments
–‘Quite Confident’ Fin Reg Bill To Get Bipartisan Support
–Doesn’t Mention China Currency Bill In Summer Schedule

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday
that Democrats are working aggressively to defeat Republican amendments
to health care legislation, saying Democrats are now putting the
“finishing touches” on the new sweeping health care law.

“We feel confident with where we are,” Reid said at a briefing,
adding that Democrats “scrubbed” the bill carefully to make sure it
adheres to the rules for reconciliation legislation.

Reid blasted Republicans attempts to pass amendments to alter the
reconciliation bill, ridiculing them for those related to gay marriage
and Viagra.

“We feel very confident they are not serious about helping this
bill,” Reid said.

The Senate will begin voting later in the day on a raft of
Republican amendments.

Republicans will also lodge points of order against provisions in
the bill, which if sustained, would remove these provisions from the
package.

The reconciliation bill makes a number of “fixes” to the
comprehensive health care bill that President Obama signed Tuesday.

If the Senate passes the reconciliation bill without any changes,
it goes to Obama for his signature. But if the legislation is altered at
all, it must be sent back to the House for its consideration.

Under Senate rules, reconciliation bills are limited to 20 hours of
debate and all amendments must be germane to the bill.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday that if the
reconciliation bill, which the House approved Sunday is changed, the
House will vote on the amended bill very soon.

On another matter, Reid said that he is “hopeful and quite
confident” that the Senate will secure bipartisan support for financial
regulatory legislation later this spring or summer.

When asked about the summer schedule, Reid cited financial
regulatory reform, the annual spending bills, energy legislation and
possible immigration reform. He made no mention of currency legislation.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 **

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