Senate Set to Tackle Spending Bill After Narrow House Passage

Senate Set to Tackle Spending Bill After Narrow House Passage-ap: The Senate will begin consideration today of the $1 trillion spending package, which cleared the House late Thursday on a 219-to-206 vote; Majority Leader Harry Reid hopes to secure passage by Saturday. Both chambers passed a two-day continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown.

Obama Promotes Trade, Tax Fix, Innovation

Obama Promotes Trade, Tax Fix, Innovation-ap: The president asserted that the Trans-Pacific Partnership has a "significantly higher than 50-50" chance of success—a significant improvement over last year—though he acknowledged that obstacles remain for the TPP and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

Obama, Biden Work Phones to Save Bill

Obama, Biden Work Phones to Save Bill-thehill: The White House launched a last-minute blitz Thursday afternoon to rally Democratic support for the $1.1 trillion House spending bill, with President Obama, Vice President Biden and other top officials calling lawmakers on Capitol Hill throughout the afternoon.

Obamacare paradox: Medicaid is expanding, but doctors are facing a huge pay cut

Obamacare paradox: Medicaid is expanding, but doctors are facing a huge pay cut-washingtonpost: The ACA included a temporary pay bump for doctors who take Medicaid--but that raise is about to expire. The law bumped Medicaid reimbursements up to Medicare levels, but after the pay raise sunsets, some doctors may be unwilling to take on new Medicaid patients--and there are several million more people on Medicaid now.

‘Cromnibus’ Strains GOP Principles on Open Process

‘Cromnibus’ Strains GOP Principles on Open Process-rollcall: As the House prepares to pass a trillion dollar, 1,603-page “cromnibus” Thursday, at least one criticism can be applied to both Republicans and Democrats when the bill comes to a vote: few lawmakers — if any — will have read the entire thing.

McConnell Plots a Functional, Bipartisan Senate

McConnell Plots a Functional, Bipartisan Senate-rollcall: The incoming majority leader plans to hold a vote next year on repeal of the health care law, but the effort is expected to fall short of the 60 votes required to overcome a Democratic filibuster.

House Panel Continues Scrutiny of Affordable Care Act

House Panel Continues Scrutiny of Affordable Care Act-ap: CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner and MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, who advised the administration on the creation of the ACA and has drawn controversy with recent comments critical of the law, will testify at a 9:30 a.m. hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Outgoing Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., will lead the questioning at the hearing, which could offer red meat for partisans, but is unlikely to alter policy.