SENATE BILL EXPECTED SHORTLY

Late word is that the Congressional Budget Office score for the Reid Substitute Senate health care restructuring bill is not yet available, contrary to expectations earlier today that the Senate Majority Leader would reveal its numbers at a luncheon for Democratic members of the Senate today. It may become available Wednesday. The Talking Points Memo D.C. blog reports that "Once the numbers are in and the bill has distributed to Democrats, Reid will likely hold one or two more meetings with the [Democratic] caucus, to answer any questions, and allay any concerns, before holding the first procedural vote--on the motion to proceed to debate--later this week, or possibly this weekend."

A 4pm post by the inside-the-Beltway publication The Hill noted, "A handful of centrist Democrats, including Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) and Mary Landrieu (La.), have not committed to support the first test vote on the bill, which would enable the Senate to begin debating and amending the bill."

The Hill quoted Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) as saying, "I’m talking to [centrists], I’m talking to the liberals. In the past, they’ve not been talking to each other much at all. They’re going to have to start talking to each other to get an agreement. But I’m talking to both. I have today and I will continue doing so."

[Post from earlier today follows:]
It is being widely reported that a CBO score of the highly anticipated Senate bill will be released today. The actual bill, written by Sen. Reid (D-Nev.) and leadership behind closed doors, will likely be made available publically tomorrow. A procedural vote that would start the Senate's consideration could come as soon as Friday, if a motion were filed tomorrow. Reid has said that once he gets the score, he will then unveil the bill to give Senators time to review the bill prior to the first test vote. This vote, which cannot occur until Friday if a bill is filed tomorrow, will require 60 votes. If that happens, debate would then start when members return after Thanksgiving week. Please check back frequently, as analyses of the bill will be posted here as quickly as possible once the bill is made available.