Let the debate begin
November 23rd, 2009 by Rhiannon Bowman in News
One step down, millions of promises to go.
Senate Democrats said they had clinched the votes needed on Saturday to propel major health care legislation to the floor for weeks of full debate, as the majority party’s two last holdouts said that they would not block consideration of President Obama’s top domestic initiative.
Both senators, Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, cautioned that their support on what was expected to be a party-line vote on Saturday evening did not guarantee that they would ultimately vote for the bill itself. And their comments signaled that more horse-trading lies ahead when the vigorous debate and amendment attempts begin after Thanksgiving. Big changes might be required if the bill is to be approved.
Still, the decision by the two senators set the stage for a crucial preliminary victory and an important psychological boost for the Democrats, who spent Saturday laying out their arguments for the bill, condemning the practices of insurers and decrying the plight of the uninsured in a parade of floor speeches aimed at cementing party unity.
“I have decided there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward, but much more work needs to be done,” Ms. Landrieu said.
Mrs. Lincoln, who faces a tough re-election campaign next year, said that her decision was not driven by political considerations.
Read the rest of this New York Times article here.
“What is health care reform and why do we need it?”
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Landrieu was of course swayed by the 300 million bribe she took to move this horrible bill forward. Funny how I see no mention of this?
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Where is the free market reform by the GOP? Nowhere to be found as usual…
November 24th, 2009 at 3:28 am
The Democrat stuff stinks too high heaven and thats a fact. Heck if you dont like either of them, vote against both proposals. Stupidity on the left or the right must stopped. Currently the left is in the drivers seat and it took two micro seconds for them to prove themselves unworthy. It took the Republicans several years to start messing up at least to this level.
The GOP better get on the ball if they want to have a 1994 repeat.