Whoops!

Health Bill Headed Back to House

Parliamentary errors force re-do.

Guess it's not a done deal just yet. The Senate parliamentarian found two violations of reconciliation rules in the health-care package voted on by the House last weekend, forcing the bill to return to the lower chamber for another vote. According to Senate rules, provisions in a reconciliation bill must involve the federal budget. Two features, which the Democrats are calling "minor," didn't meet that standard. The Republicans in the Senate had tried to stop the bill by offering dozens of amendments, hoping to force the bill back to the House for another vote that way, but were unsuccessful. The Senate worked until 2:45 a.m. Thursday, with debate growing animated and confused at times. One sticking point seemed to revolve around Pell grants, which the reconciliation bill increases. The Senate should vote on the final package Thursday, and the House is expected to vote again—and for the last time—this weekend.