Senate Health Care Bill Gets 60 Votes And Moves Forward For Debate
UPDATE II: With 60 votes easily in hand, Democrats stopped a mostly symbolic GOP filibuster attempt and sent Harry Reid’s health care legislation moving forward for more debate in a 60-39 Saturday night vote.
It’s a big win for Reid, Senate Democrats and the White House after a week of anxiety over whether Dems would have the votes needed to keep reform moving ahead. It is by far the biggest win in President Obama’s laborious push for health insurance reform.
UPDATE: Arkansas Democrat Blanche Lincoln became the final Democrat to announce a vote in support of continuing debate on the Senate health care legislation during a speech on the Senate floor Saturday afternoon. Lincoln’s decision gives Majority Leader Harry Reid the 60 votes he needs to win his legislation’s first crucial test in the chamber and move the Senate reform bill forward after the Thanksgiving break.
Like fellow moderate Democrats Ben Nelson and Mary Landrieu, Lincoln gave her backing to Saturday night’s cloture voter but warned she would vote against the measure in a full vote if changes are not mad, most importantly dropping the government-run insurance option included in the bill.
“Rather than create an entirely new government-run health care plan to compete with private insurers. I support health insurance reform that focuses on changing the rules of our existing employer-based private health insurance system.”
“This initial procedural vote simply allows us to open debate on health care reform, nothing more or less. My decision to support this vote is not my last nor is it my only chance to shape health insurance reform. Debate on the Senate floor is where I will have the opportunity to influence the final version of health care reform legislation.”
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Louisiana Democrat Mary Landrieu told her fellow Senate colleagues on the floor during debate Saturday afternoon that she will vote to forward health care legislation to the full Senate for a vote. It brings a sigh of relief for Majority Leader Harry Reid and means Senate Dems and the White House are likely on their way to scoring the biggest victory yet in the fight for health care reform.
“I’ve decided that there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward, but much more work needs to be done,” Landrieu said in a speech on the Senate floor, the first public announcement of her long-awaited decision.
Senate Democratic leaders now await word from Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln on how she will vote in Saturday night’s crucial first test for reform legislation in the Senate. Lincoln, like Landrieu, has said she will refrain from letting her intentions be known until her floor speech. All indications are that the decisions of fellow Democratic moderates Landrieu and Ben Nelson to vote in favor of moving debate on the bill forward will mean Lincoln will join them as a “yes” vote.
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They made the right call for this country. Getting this health care bill passed and signed by the President is so important to so many.
People are literally dying at the hands of insurance companies and their cost-conscious whims.
kc you are a “MO” read this I suggest you also use facts The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775 - you’ve had 234 years to get it right; it’s broke. Social Security was established in 1935 - you’ve had 74 years to get it right; it’s broke. Fannie Mae was established in 1938 - you’ve had 71 years to get it right; it’s broke. The “War on Poverty” started in 1964 - you’ve had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to “the poor”; it hasn’t worked and our entire country is broke. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 - you’ve had 44 years to get it right; they’re both broke. Freddie Mac was established in 1970 - you’ve had 39 years to get it right; it’s broke. Trillions of dollars were spent in the massive political payoffs called TARP, the “Stimulus”, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009…. none show any signs of working, although ACORN appears to have found a new source: the American taxpayer. And finally, to set a new record: “Cash for Clunkers” was established in 2009 and went broke in 2009! It took cars (that were the best some people could afford) and replaced them with high-priced and less-affordable cars, mostly Japanese. A good percentage of the profits went out of the country. And the American taxpayers take the hit for Congress’ generosity in burning three billion more of our dollars on failed experiments. So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves that “services” you shove down our throats are failing faster and faster, you want Americans to believe you can be trusted with a government-run health care system? 20% of our entire economy? With all due respect, Are you crazy?
I never thought our government would fail us so badly. If you think corporate greed is behind many of our problems wait and see what the government has in store for us in
the near future! This is nothing but a greedy power grab by Pelosi, Reid, Obama and the other socialists.
The pain these people are inflicting on this country is unreal – and all under the guise of “fairness” and helping people.