by Mark Silva
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appears to be getting ready to count to 60 on health care.
The Democratic leader has laid the groundwork for the critical test vote on advancing a health-care overhaul in the Senate. The Hill reports on the filing of a motion to introduce the bill on Monday, which will prompt expected Republican objections.
"A motion to proceed to the bill would be in order the next legislative day," Reid spokesman Jim Manley tells The Hill..
Reid's action sets the stage for a critical vote on a motion to proceed to the bill, which requires 60 votes -- "as early as Tuesday,'' Manley tells the Swamp today - a test of the leadership's ability to advance the bill in a chamber where the Democrats and two independents account for 60 seats.
"In doing so, Reid heeded the advice of former President Bill Clinton, who visited Senate Democrats Tuesday at their weekly caucus lunch and urged them to move quickly to pass health reform,'' The Hill's J. Taylor Rushing reports. "Clinton imparted lessons from his own attempt during his presidency, in 1993, and said Democrats should be prepared to compromise but should act with speed.''
The House has narrowly approved a health-care bill, by a vote of 220-215, which includes a controversial "public option,'' a government-run plan for those who cannot find private insurance. Reid (D-Nev.) is advancing an opt-out which would enable states to exempt themselves from the public option in the Senate bill.
The House's bill carries an estimated price tag of over $1.2 trillion over 10 years. The Senate's bill is awaiting a cost analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, expected later this week.
Comments
I am awaiting the score from CBO before contacting my elected members of the United States Senate.
If this bill adds to the deficit in any fashion then I am against it.
If this bill uses accounting tricks to hide it's true cost then I am against it.
If it requires any tax increase on the middle class I am against it.
I would imagine that any bill that comes out of the United States Senate will include all three, therefore I am against it!
Posted by: Pat H | November 11, 2009 10:20 AM
Memo from Bill Clinton to Harry Reid.
Hurry the bill through before the public can learn what is in it!
Posted by: Bruce | November 11, 2009 10:48 AM
This procedure will give Democratic Majority Leader Reid a quick indication on how many votes he has lined up and possibly how many votes they are short of 60 to get the Health Reform Bill passed. This procedure vote will probably fail to reach the 60 vote goal.
Posted by: Depot- Jim | November 11, 2009 11:23 AM
Reid likely gets the votes for the Senate bill, but that maters little when you have Nelson and such swinging against the House version, the one that needs to be dealt with in order to have the president sign something.
http://www.political-buzz.com/
Posted by: matt | November 11, 2009 11:54 AM
The House's bill carries an estimated price tag of over $1.2 trillion over 10 years. ~ M.S.
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The Utopian socialists are incapable of sorting any of this out. There is NO WAY that the price tag of this orifice choking, 1,990 pages of Crap will be a mere $1,200,000,000,000 over 10 years. The 25 year projection for Medicare was missed by a factor of 8.4. It will easily be 3x times that, plus. If u are not sick now, u will be sick when this abomination is dragged out.
It is one thing to die of stage 4 cancer. It will be something of a different perversion to die of appendicitis because a DMV styled medical system has taken control of your life in this strange pinball game designed to take control of your health.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | November 11, 2009 5:14 PM
Only 25% Strongly Support the plan while 42% are Strongly Opposed.
The latest numbers show support from 81% of those in the president’s party. The plan is opposed by 90% of Republicans and 58% of unaffiliated voters.
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 30% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty percent (40%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -10.
Fifty-eight percent (58%) of likely voters say it is at least somewhat likely the next president of the United States will be a Republican, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
Voters not affiliated with either party continue to heavily favor Republicans, 43% to 20%.
And before you say Rasmussen is wrong take this in. They have been the only pollsters to got it right the last 8 times people voted.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | November 11, 2009 9:48 PM