Boehner presses lawmakers for progress on tax package

With time running out to create a permanent solution to Medicare's sustainable growth-rate formula, the prospect of using war savings as a means to that end grew more unlikely Thursday.

At a news conference in the Capitol, House Speaker John Boehner said members of the conference committee on the payroll tax bill that includes a provision for the SGR “need to get moving.” Boehner would not set what he called “an artificial deadline” for conferees to reach agreement, but he conceded that “the sooner, the better” would be good. He was also asked about the possibility of using war savings—specifically Overseas Contingency Operations—as a way to develop a long-term answer to the way Medicare reimburses the nation's doctors.

“I think it needs to pass the straight-face test,” the Ohio Republican said. “The fact is, we are going to spend less in our war efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to use those savings to propel more spending doesn't seem to make a great deal of sense to me.”

Separately, Boehner reiterated what he said Wednesday: that Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) will take the lead on advancing legislation to overturn an HHS requirement that faith-based employers provide health insurance coverage that includes contraceptive services.

“I have full confidence that the committee will do this in a deliberate, bipartisan fashion,” Boehner said. “It will be up to the chairman to make those decisions.”

The Energy and Commerce Committee did not have a specific timeline for the legislation.