Negotiations with the House of Representatives to craft a final bill for President Obama will be difficult because of some major differences, notably the House bill's provision for a government-run health insurance option, absent from the Senate measure.
VOA: standard.2009.12.24
Uncertainty over the political viability of the public option has some House Democrats refusing to rule out the possibility of a final bill without the provision.
The Senate on Monday rejected, 35-62, an attempt by conservatives to amend the final package with an offset provision to cut federal programs across the board by one-half of 1 percent through 2021.