Sen. Michael Enzi's (R-WY) attempt to push for a quick vote on The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act, S. 1955, was blocked Thursday, May 11, when the Senate voted 55 - 43 against cloture. According to the Los Angeles Times, Enzi said he would work with Senate Democrats to draft compromise legislation, which he would then reintroduce later in the year.

The debate over Small Business Health Plans (SBHP) legislation is heating up this week as the bill's proponents seek a quick vote and opponents look to block the bill, as reported by Reuters.

On May 9, at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), announced a new national reading program, The Big Read, designed to revitalize the role of reading in American public culture. NEA is launching The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

It is expected that next week the Senate will vote on The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act (S. 1955), legislation sponsored by Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY) that would allow business and trade associations to pool their members to offer group health coverage through Small Business Health Plans (SBHP). The American Booksellers Association is encouraging its members to contact their senators to urge a vote in favor of the bill.

On April 25, ABA COO Oren Teicher wrote booksellers and asked them to contact their senators and urge them to support "The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act," (S. 1955), legislation sponsored by Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY). The legislation would allow business and trade associations to band their members together and offer group health coverage on a national or regional basis through Small Business Health Plans (SBHP, also known as Association Health Plans).

It appears that supporters of health care reform finally have momentum on their side. The Senate is nearing a vote on Small Business Health Plans (also known as Associated Health Plans) legislation sometime in May [watch for an important update and a call to action in next week's BTW]; President Bush is touting Health Savings Accounts; and in Massachusetts, on April 12, Republican Gov. Mitt Romney signed a health insurance reform bill that seeks to make health insurance available to every resident of Massachusetts within the next three years.

This week, ABA announced that, at its first-ever Legislative Day', Dawn P. Latham, CAE, director of public policy, for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), will be on hand to provide attendees with an update on the current status of Association Health Plan (AHP) legislation in Congress. "'Small business health plans is such a critical issue," Latham said. "I look forward to meeting the members of ABA to discuss this important legislation."

Senators Call for a Hearing on the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Project

In a letter dated March 21, Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) called on the Senate Committee on Finance to hold a hearing on S. 2152 and S. 2153, their respective streamlined sales and use tax legislation, that was referred to the committee for review. The letter was sent to Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-IA), the Senate Committee on Finance chairman, and Max Baucus (D-MT), the committee's ranking minority member.

Ending a 15-year stalemate on Association Health Plan (AHP) legislation, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted in favor of "The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act," (S. 1955), which was introduced by Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY). With the committee's approval, the bill can head to the Senate floor for debate.

The logjam that has seen AHP legislation repeatedly stall in the Senate could be coming to an end.

On Wednesday, March 8, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has scheduled a mark-up of legislation that looks to provide more affordable health insurance options to America's small businesses. The bill, "The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act," (S. 1955) was introduced into the Senate by Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY), Chairman of HELP, in late 2005.