Health Care Beat

" Congress is not in session because the veterans day holiday but there's still plenty to talk about. Well the lawmakers will actually pass health care reform legislation before the end of this year. Here to discuss where we are in this process are three of the fox reporters who have been covering the health care reform debate. And the beach and chief political correspondent Carl Cameron correspondent Shannon -- and chief Washington correspondent Jim Angle. Want to talk about here guys Carl the process where are we what's now."

" today the house and democratic leaders say that they thought that they could keep their members and get something passed by Christmas that's probably a pipe dream because of the Senate that sets the pace. And what we know right now is they don't actually have a senate bill Harry Reid the majority leader hasn't merges the two bills that need to be combined. We don't have a price tag because we don't have a bill and it's quite possible that Reid doesn't have the votes to actually officially begin the debate they hope. Best case scenario for Democrats that by the end of next week they will have officially gotten enough votes to take it to the Florida we'll take Thanksgiving off. They come back after that holiday and -- have three weeks before Christmas."

" The next thing we're waiting on his Congressional Budget Office to score the Senate bill. Jim and there's a lot of back and forth about the CBO and how that will come well CBO -- rely on the assumptions it is given from congress or assumptions and assumptions out. So if congress says hey we're gonna cut 500 billion dollars from Medicare CBO has to assume that what actually happened. Will that happen it is most unlikely and there's very little evidence in history that members of congress are willing to do that. Five years ago four years ago when congress. There was a proposal to cut six and a half billion dollar Medicare over five years six and a half million over five years. Senator Hillary Clinton at the time so that was slashing Medicare other Democrats said it was immoral than it was cruel. Now they're proposing to cut Medicare by denying the times that much. Will they do it most unlikely but if they say we're going to do it CBO has to assume that they actually well yeah -- another issue that is."

" Potential stumbling block and a big one is the issue of abortion and federal funding for abortion. And this hearkens back to the Hyde amendment was passed back in 1970s after Roe vs. Wade of course named for congressman Henry Hyde. It it puts a ban on federal funding and that comes to the annual allocation for health and human services. Well Democrats. Congressman Bart Stupak wanted to make sure that same kind of policy. Got into the house the because now we're talking about different funding streams through this health care reform situation. Here's the difference we were talking about private insurers under the Hyde amendment but we are in this case because they'll be apart of the exchange of the goes through. And not only -- federal funding be cut off from things like. Medicaid and public option. But if you get affordability credits and you use those you can't go into the marketplace and then by private insurance that provide abortion coverage. So -- you know it's a stickler down to the dollar but some people think it's semantics you know. There's a lot of -- have something."

" All of you balancing act here look. This figure glossy new issues gonna lose 39 Democrats anyway so when forty anti abortion Democrats came to her and said we've got to have this amendment Stupak amendment. Or else we don't vote for the bill she only won by a margin of five votes you lose three. You're upside down on this and you lose so she had to let them take a vote it passed but what happened all the pro choice people today reminding people in the pro choice caucus wrote a letter to President Obama saying we wanna talk about this abortion thing. And now -- mister Boehner on the Republican side in the house was saying that Pelosi had in fact promised she would have -- taken out of the Senate deal. So you you might pick up some people who are for abortion others."

" And your name and now those 39 Democrats that voted against the bill they're getting pounded by the liberal left. They're donations are threatened attack ads are coming from groups like move on and they're offices are even being picketed so those who voted against it. Are suffering a little bit of Democrat on Democrat violence."

" Yeah -- and I mean that the politics of that then you have the issue of illegal immigration -- the Hispanic caucus in the house saying this point members there. Saying that if there is legislation -- an amendment added for verification. Residency. That they will vote against the bill."

" There are a lot of speed on a lot of hurdles still left and of course until we get the CBO numbers a lot of people just my camera still about the cost. And of course public option is gonna come back again ultimately before the dust settles. And be a big talking point."

" The best in the business thank you all it's rare to have everybody at one table thanks."