by Jordan Fabian
The Hill
12/30/09
Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday that Democrats will likely “huddle secretly” to get their way on contested provisions between the two healthcare bills when lawmakers meet to merge them next month.
The Iowa Republican said that members of his party who are named conferees will probably not have much input on the final healthcare bill.
“I think that this will be one of those instances where, following along on the stimulus bill of last February, I will be a conferee but Democrats will huddle secretly and come to the conclusion of what they want to do and then announce it and, you know, it’s a take it or leave it,” he said in a news conference with Iowa reporters.
“It will be pretty much be partisan in conference,” he added.
House and Senate Democrats will still have major issues to iron out between their two bills.
The House bill includes a public healthcare insurance option and stricter abortion language while the Senate bill has a national nonprofit health insurance plan and has looser abortion language than the House bill.
The House bill also imposes a surtax on people making over $500,000 per year but the Senate bill places an excise tax on high-cost insurance plans.
The article continues at The Hill.
