Mozilla is already planning to adopt a more incremental development model, as expressed in its ambitious 2011 roadmap and recent operational overhaul proposal.

In a House that is usually tightly controlled, the Republicans are allowing a dozen separate overhaul proposals to be considered, along with 257 separate amendments.

Mr. Reed has sent his overhaul proposal to the exchange's 1,366 members, who are scheduled to vote on the proposed structure on Nov. 18.

After much criticism of managerial and investigative lapses at the F.B.I., the Bush administration and lawmakers came forward with a batch of overhaul proposals.

"This is just not a viable option," Mr. Sambur said of the overhaul proposals.

No decisions were reached, officials said, but in the face of indifference in both Congress and the Treasury, they said a sweeping overhaul proposal was improbable, at least for this year.

Then there are other, widely acknowledged problems in the health care system, ones that affect its spirit and that none of the overhaul proposals seem to combat.

His comments came moments before the commission acted on the overhaul proposal, which had been put forward by Mr. Reed.

Their plan was to spend Thursday sifting through unused ideas from the Reagan Administration's original income tax overhaul proposals.