Week 12: Legislative Politics of the Affordable Care Act

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Health reform law passed in March 2010.

Senate Finance Committee

Key committee for ACA private negotiations.

Filibuster

Tactic to block legislation in Senate.

Sidecar Bill

Legislation for financial changes to ACA.

Political Gymnastics

Negotiations balancing citizen benefits and industry protections.

Financial Gymnastics

Adjustments made to financial aspects of ACA.

Implementation Phase

Post-passage stage involving regulations and software.

Rahm Emanuel

Chief of Staff overseeing ACA implementation challenges.

Committee Politics

Influence of committees on legislative outcomes.

Merging Bill Options

Combining multiple committee bills for final legislation.

Political Ideology Spectrum

Range from liberal to conservative in Congress.

900 Pages

Length of the ACA, leading to errors.

Citizen Benefits

Advantages provided to the public under ACA.

Cost-Cutting Measures

Financial adjustments often removed during negotiations.

Reconciliation

Process to align House and Senate bills.

March 23, 2010

Date ACA was signed into law by Obama.

Private Negotiations

Confidential discussions among legislators for policy approval.

Healthcare Reform

Broad changes to health policy initiated by ACA.

Political Maneuvering

Strategic actions to navigate legislative challenges.

Errors and Inconsistencies

Mistakes in ACA due to rushed passage.

Celebration of Victory

White House's acknowledgment of ACA's passage.