What Comes Next for Health-Care Reform?

The first of Harry Reid's meetings to merge the Finance and HELP Committee bills and create one compromise bill able to survive the Senate floor happened Wednesday. The participants in the room were a high-powered bunch: Reid, of course; Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; Chris Dodd, who led the HELP Committee's health-care reform effort. The White House sent Rahm Emanuel, Peter Orszag, Nancy-Ann DeParle, Kathleen Sebelius and Phil Schiliro. And then staff. Lots and lots of staff. Contrary to reports from earlier this week, it no longer looks like Olympia Snowe will be a constant presence.