Text of Signed Deficit Reduction Bill Includes Clerical Error ... Is It Law?

The Washington Times is reporting that S.1932, Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, as signed by President Bush last Wednesday did not pass both the House and Senate in identical form, and House Democrats now say that means it is not legitimately a law (read the Democrats would like to revisit the Medicare provisions). According to the report, here is the sequence of events:

After the Senate voted on the bill, aides said, a Senate clerk inadvertently changed the length of time Medicare would reimburse for certain medical equipment to be rented from 13 months to 36 months. 

Congressional Quarterly reported that staffers discovered the error before the House passed the bill, but did not disclose the mistake until this week.

After the House vote, a Senate clerk changed the length of time back to 13 months and sent the bill to Mr. Bush.

The Senate passed a resolution stating they meant to say 13 months in the bill.

This could become every legislative history instructors' dream come true!