This is an exclusive from Jon Cohn @ TNR. Apparently, the Dems are tired of the GOP slowing everything down-they want the HCR bill done already.
From TNR:
According to a pair of senior Capitol Hill staffers, one from each chamber, House and Senate Democrats are "almost certain" to negotiate informally rather than convene a formal conference committee. Doing so would allow Democrats to avoid a series of procedural steps--not least among them, a series of special motions in the Senate, each requiring a vote with full debate--that Republicans could use to stall deliberations, just as they did in November and December.
"There will almost certainly be full negotiations but no formal conference," the House staffer says. "There are too many procedural hurdles to go the formal conference route in the Senate."
It's important to note that there will be negotiations-the House will not just vote on the Senate bill. Apparently, the plan is just to not have a formal conference process, as that would open up all sorts of procedural motions the GOP could use to delay the vote. As one aide put it:
"I think the Republicans have made our decision for us," the Senate staffer says. "It’s time for a little ping-pong."
"Ping pong" is a reference to one way the House and Senate could proceed.
With ping-ponging, the chambers send legislation back and forth to one another until they finally have an agreed-upon version of the bill. But even ping-ponging can take different forms and some people use the term generically to refer to any informal negotiations.
So ping-pong is a broad term it seems. I would love to hear from someone who is more of an expert on congressional procedures.
In any event, it looks like Dems are ready to get this done and move on.
UPDATE: On suggestion of jj32, the title has been changed. Also, the original story was based entirely on Senate staff. We now have confirmation from House staff, per TPM:
But aides say the new way forward is not an uncommon process, which allows the House to have similar input, while offering up other advantages as well.
"This process cuts out the Republicans," said a House Democratic aide. Republicans will "not have a motion to recommit opportunity"--a procedural trick the minority can use to scuttle legislation in the House at the last minute.
Just what the House will demand in exchange for some of the major concessions it will have to accept--most notably the public option--have yet to be finalized, but should become more clear in the hours and days ahead. Under discussion going into holiday recess were fairly major issues, such as whether the exchanges would be organized at the national level (as in the House bill) or at the state level (as in the Senate bill), and whether to adopt the House's earlier implementation date.
Also, I've added a link to this front page story, based on a suggestion from henna 218