House Democrats set September deadline for healthcare compromise

House Democrats, in consultation with the White House, will give Republican lawmakers until September to reach a compromise on President Obama's signature healthcare initiative, or they will use a shortcut to move the measure through Congress without Republican votes. After meeting with senior White House officials, House Democratic leaders decided to include the shortcut in the budget proposal they will unveil next week, congressional sources said. Known as budget reconciliation, the shortcut would permit lawmakers to roll Obama's healthcare proposals into a bill that cannot be filibustered.