Today the House of Representatives returned from a week-plus district work period to resume legislative business in Washington. Cleaning up after Obamacare’s poor introduction is top on their list of priorities. The Democrats promised that consumers could keep their current insurance coverage, but many Americans have found that their plans did not qualify under the healthcare law and would be cancelled. House Republicans have offered a bill to reverse these cancellations. House Democrat John Barrow has signed on as a co-sponsor. A handful of Senate Democrats have offered their own version of the bill as well.
The Hill: GOP on ObamaCare Offense
National Journal: ObamaCare Threatens Senate Democrats—And They Know It
PeachPundit: John Barrow Cosponsors “Keep Your Health Plan Act”
Although the Keep Your Plan bill will easily pass the House, it will go nowhere in the Senate. In fact, it appears that not much else will make it through Congress this year. (That being said, we must keep in mind that the budget conference committee must work through their differences on a resolution by December 15, so there’s at least that.)
Politico: Congress Seems to Be Done Legislating for the Year
While Congress goes into hibernation, you can learn more about the new Members! Each Congress, the Congressional Research Service produces a report about the demographic makeup of the body, including religion, race and ethnicity, previous careers, and whether the Members have served in Congress before. Fun fact: There is not one, but TWO, almond orchard farmers in the House.
Washington Post: Interesting Demographic Facts About the 113th Congress
And for our latest blog post: What Happens When a Member of Congress Dies?