What Went Down On Health Care This Week

One of our live blog commenters asked, “Have any bills died in conference after being passed by both chambers since 1980? Or is passage in both chambers a guarantee of … something?” All of the reconciliation bills listed below — those that went to conference committee after being passed in some form by both chambers — were subsequently approved by both chambers, after coming out of the conference committee. Not all of them became law — a few were vetoed by the president — but the vast majority did. Still, successful passage in the past doesn’t mean that the same thing will happen this year, with potentially major differences between the two chambers’ bills.

Reconciliation bills that went to conference committee

FISCAL YEAR	BILL	BECAME LAW
1981	Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1980	✓
1982	Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981	✓
1983	Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982	✓
1983	Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1982	✓
1986	Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985	✓
1987	Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986	✓
1988	Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987	✓
1990	Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989	✓
1991	Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990	✓
1994	Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993	✓
1996	Balanced Budget Act of 1995
1997	Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996	✓
1998	Balanced Budget Act of 1997	✓
1998	Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997	✓
2000	Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act of 1999
2001	Marriage Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2000
2002	Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001	✓
2004	Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003	✓
2006	Deficit Reduction Act of 2005	✓
2006	Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005	✓
2008	College Cost Reduction and Access Act	✓