GOP: Obama Must Sign Health Measure Before Reconciliation

There looks to be a pretty substantial wrinkle in congressional Democrats’ plans to pass health-care reform via the simple-majority processes of reconciliation: President Obama would have to sign the Senate version of the bill into law before the House and Senate versions could be reconciled into one. That’s the verdict of the Senate Parliamentarian, as delivered to Republicans at their request, Roll Call reports.

This could further worry House Democrats, many of whom see the Senate measure as lacking—and, Talking Points Memo adds, worry that once Obama signs something, the Senate won’t make good on its pledge to pass a reconciliation bill.
(More reconciliation stories.)