Before last Tuesday’s upset win by the GOP of a U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts, it looked like the nation was a few weeks away from a healthcare reform bill being signed into law.

What a difference one election can make. In a sharply-divided Senate, Democrats now no longer control the 60 votes needed to shut down Republican filibusters. Shortly before Christmas, the Senate passed a healthcare reform bill with just the requisite 60 votes. Now, they’re one vote short.

PIA Director of Federal Affairs Mike Becker has an Instant Update video.

The new political calculus has prompted discussions among the Democrats of what strategy they should adopt going forward. At first, it was thought that they would simply get their House caucus to swallow hard and pass the Senate bill. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she wouldn’t do that. Now, some Democrats are suggesting that they slow down and work on other items before attempting to pass healthcare reform. Ultimately, the fate of healthcare reform may turn on what President Obama has to say in his State of the Union address on Wednesday.

Retiring Connecticut Democrat Christopher Dodd is among those calling on leaders to set aside health care and tackle other pressing issues until a new approach on health care can be forged.  “It’s not like we’ve got nothing to do around here,” he said.

House Unlikely to Pass Senate Health Bill: Pelosi (Business Insurance 1/21/10)

January 27, 2010