SAF staff attended the Small Business Coalition for Affordable Healthcare meeting yesterday to discuss key small business provisions in the health care overhaul legislation. With many provisions that create a disincentive to hire, the coalition is planning a national call-in day.

Ping Pong Begins Next Week on Health Care Reform: With the House back in session and the Senate returning to work on January 20th, the "ping pong" will begin soon. Instead of using a formal conference process where the House and Senate players meet to iron out differences, they will use the "ping-pong" procedure - the formal term is "messages between the Houses." This is procedurally simpler than a conference. After the final version is complete, the Congressional Budget Office will provide a cost estimate before a final vote by Congress.

State of the Union Date Not Set - No one knows for sure when the President will deliver his State of the Union address. It turns out the White House does not choose the date - the Speaker of the House has that prerogative - so Speaker Pelosi will invite the President to come to the Hill. Ideally, health care reform will be signed before the state of the union but the negotiations are in flux. She is still mulling Feb. 2 or Feb. 9th.  So stay tuned.

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