Schumer moves on reconciliation

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

Source: Punchbowl News

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is getting the ball rolling on a potential Democratic reconciliation package.

Schumer will submit text today to the Senate parliamentarian reflecting an agreement among all Democrats – including Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) – to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs. The parliamentarian will then begin the “Byrd Bath” review process to make sure the proposal conforms with the Senate’s arcane reconciliation rules.

At this point, the rest of the package – informally dubbed Build Back Manchin – is up in the air. This is the low hanging fruit. Manchin has always supported this policy, as do 49 other Senate Democrats. So Schumer is starting with the lowest common denominator.

The other two major items in any Democratic reconciliation package – climate and energy provisions, plus tax reform – are still being negotiated by Schumer and Manchin...


Read more: https://punchbowl.news/archive/7-6-22-punchbowl-news-am/

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Have been sortof following this as it creeps along under the radar

and it looks to be for FY2023 (which would start Oct. 1, 2022).

Senate Democrats see 'major progress' on Biden agenda bill, hope for July vote

June 29, 2022, 11:05 PM EDT
By Sahil Kapur

(snip)

What's in the drug pricing deal?

According to a summary of provisions obtained by NBC News, the emerging deal would empower Medicare to directly negotiate prescription drug prices starting next year to lower costs for consumers. It would cap out-of-pocket costs for Medicare patients at $2,000 per year and allow the cap to be broken up into monthly payments. It also would impose a new "inflation rebate" policy forcing drug companies to send money back to consumers if they raise prices above inflation.

In addition, the deal would add new incentives for drugmakers and insurers to limit drug price hikes, provide free vaccines for seniors, enhance premium and copay assistance for lower-income people and ensure the Department of Health and Human Services always negotiates for the maximum number of eligible drugs. And it would require negotiations to lower prices "if a drug company continues to block generic competition," the summary said.

Manchin rejected the House-passed Build Back Better Act in December but later indicated openness to a slimmed-down version that includes drug savings, climate and energy policy and higher taxes on upper earners and corporations. The Senate has not taken any action since then.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-democrats-see-major-progress-biden-agenda-bill-hope-july-vote-rcna36041

This is all part of getting those pieces left out of the BIB after the torpedoing of BBB, and getting them implemented as standalones or in small bundles of bills.

[jimfields33]

2. They'll hold it until senator Leahy returns and then have a voterama

I like that. Can you imagine 5 or so bills going to the President’s desk. That would be a great day!

[BumRushDaShow]

3. It would still have to go through the House

and in fact, they would need to use some already-passed House bill as their "base" (since anything to do with money must originate in the House - they might be able to use the original BBB reconciliation) and then put this on that bill in the form of an "Amendment as a substitute" and send it back to the House to pass in that changed form (and this is assuming the House doesn't further decide to tweak it with their own Amendments)... So still has a ways to go...

[jimfields33]

4. Oh darn. How I stupidly forgot the house.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. If they use a base bill that the House already passed

and can convince both the "Problem Solvers Caucus" and the Progressive Caucus that it's "now or never" before the election, they might be able to prevail. Otherwise the Whip will be busy over in the House. The hope would be that they consider getting some Joint House-Senate Conference group together now to work out what happens with this before it gets to the House to minimize the back and forths since they have to obviously pass the identical bill.

They are also going to have stop at some point and come up with some kind of Continuing Resolution to temporarily fund the government after September 30 because although they have had hearings on the budget, I don't think any appropriations bills have passed the full House yet although the Committees have passed and sent a couple of them to the floor -

Defense
Labor, HHS
Interior

Was hunting around to see if they did any others (they will often lump a pile into "Minibuses" appropriations or a couple bigger "Ominbus" bills). Whatever they do with this Reconciliation will impact (by design) how those appropriations bills are handled during FY23 and beyond.

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. Um, shouldn't that read "Manchin and 48 other senate Democrats "?

Since Sinema has been an outspoken opponent of any pharmaceutical regulations or legislation.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Technically "46" Democrats and 2 "Independents" (that caucus with Democrats" )

('cause you have Bernie on one end and then Angus King on the other )

[Mawspam2]

8. Manchin is for it until he isn't.

Eff that guy and the Sinema he rode in on.

[Calista241]

9. So, be prepared for a whole bunch of SALT discussion over the next few weeks.

Be interesting to see how the compromise works here.

[Martin68]

10. It's big fucking deal. Only craven Republicans who care more about their donors than their

constituents would have blocked this in the past.

[betsuni]

11. K&R