To truly understand the extent of the differences between the House and Senate health care bills, take a look at an 11-page chart compiled by the Tri-Committee House staff. It offers the clearest snapshot yet of the decisions that President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry will need to make. There are more than 50 “topline differences” that need to be resolved, from the amount of taxes levied to the minimum benefit package offered in the exchanges, according to the chart. It doesn’t go into countless other minor and technical differences. After a week off for the holiday, the process begins in earnest Tuesday with two major meetings. First, Pelosi will meet with House committee chairmen to start setting the parameters for negotiations with the Senate. Then, Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Nev.) will go to the White House to meet with Obama. Reid and Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will call in from their home states. White House aides have sought to downplay the challenge of reconciling the two bills, saying they have long known about the differences that need resolution. But the chart is an unambiguous reminder that a bill signing is still a ways off — and a series of politically-unforgiving and party-straining decisions awaits Democrats. See the chart.

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