Deal Reached to Allow Health Care Vote at 8 a.m. Christmas Eve

SenateRepublicans have agreed to end their filibuster of Senate MajorityLeader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) health care reform bill early ChristmasEve morning, allowing for a vote on the package at 8 a.m.

Reid and SenateMinority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced the agreement Tuesdayafternoon. The Senate will also vote on a two-month extension of thefederal debt limit on Christmas Eve morning before adjourning for theyear.

McConnellpresented the deal to his Conference during the GOP’s weekly luncheonTuesday. Although many Members had hoped to force the chamber to remainin session until Thursday night, with an ice storm threatening todisrupt travel to the Midwest, Republicans ultimately agreed to end thedebate earlier than planned.

But beyondpractical concerns, Republicans said the agreement allowed them to usewhat remaining “leverage” they had from their ongoing filibuster of theChristmas bill to help set the stage for next year’s political battles,particularly on the national debt.

“SenateRepublicans have long since committed to being here on Christmas Eveand that will happen. We’re not concerned with accommodating Christmasschedules, we’re concerned with a deeply flawed health care bill andrunaway national debt. If we can lock in a high-profile debate on debtand still hold health care until the bitter end, we’ve done everythingwe can to stop these reckless policies from going forward,” a seniorGOP aide said.

As part of thedeal, Republicans will be able to offer on Jan. 20 a series ofamendments to a long-term extension of the debt limit — a rescissionspackage authored by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a set of spending capsproposed by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), an amendment by Sen. JohnThune (R-S.D.) sunsetting the Troubled Asset Relief Program, anamendment on the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of carbondioxide emissions by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and a fiscal taskforce amendment by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.). Reid will also offer apay-as-you-go budgeting amendment.

With a focus oneconomic issues and climate change, all of the GOP’s amendments playinto the looming political battles for 2010.