While Congressional health reform hearings, markups and closed door discussions continue on a daily basis, the aggressive timelines set out in May by the Senate and House committees at the center of the health reform debate have slid. Each of the five committees with jurisdiction over health reform failed to meet the self-imposed deadlines for completing consideration of health bills prior to the July recess. In the House, a joint committee bill has been introduced but not yet marked up. In the Senate, the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee began markup in mid-June but has yet to consider a number of contentions issues such as whether to include an employer mandate that would require employers to offer, and contribute to, health insurance plans for employees. The Senate Finance Committee, meanwhile, has yet to release a bill as members continue to meet to in an effort to hammer out a bipartisan proposal. As a result, July promises to be a busy month if the next self-imposed deadline of moving bills through final consideration prior to the August recess is to be met.

In addition to ongoing NAR staff meetings with Congressional leaders and staffs, Ronald Phipps, NAR's First Vice President, also met with key policy staff in both the White House Office of Health Reform and the Department of Health and Human Services on July 1st. In his meetings, Mr. Phipps explained the health coverage challenges that real estate professionals face, how the various reform proposals being debated would affect NAR's members and the need for careful consideration of the unique needs of the self-employed in any reform plan. NAR continues to work with Congress and the Administration to make sure the needs of Realtors are met in a final proposal, but has not taken a formal position at this time on any of the bills being considered.

Visit www.realtor.org/healthreform