Senate Democrats want health care bill by holiday

The United States Senate held a rare Saturday session to vote on amendments for the health care reform bill.

Democrats are hoping to have the bill wrapped up and passed by the holiday break, but that depends on every single Senate Democrat voting to go along with the plan.

One vote at a time, Senate Democrats are getting closer to a health care reform bill.

Lawmakers spent Saturday voting on amendments to a 2,000 page bill designed to expand health care to millions.

"14,000 people lose their health insurance every day," Democratic Minority Leader, Senator Harry Reid said. "The American people don't get weekends off from this injustice."

Democrats are pushing to get a bill done before the holidays, but fierce disagreements over abortion and the public option are threatening party unity.

Republicans are happy to let democrats fight it out.

SOURCE: WFIE News

Medicare cuts focus of Senate health care debate

Senate Republicans forced Democrats to vote in favor of cutting billions from providers of home care for older people as partisan debate flared Saturday during a rare weekend session on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

[...] Republicans, bent on making Democrats cast politically risky votes, offered their third amendment in the debate so far showcasing more than $400 billion in cuts to projected Medicare spending that would pay for the bill, mostly for subsidies to help extend coverage to millions of uninsured.

Like the other two, this one went down to defeat, on a vote of 53 to 41. The measure by Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., would have eliminated $42 billion in cuts over 10 years to agencies that provide home health care to seniors under Medicare.

SOURCE: Associated Press > Yahoo News

Roll Call

U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote Summaries
111th Congress
1st Session (2009)



On amendment No. 2870, offered by the Senator from Rhode Island, Mr. Whitehouse. (to amendment No. 2786), to promote fiscal responsibility by protecting the Social Security surplus and CLASS program savings in this act. (Roll Call 359)

Hagan voted "Yea"
Burr voted "Yea"
Amendment adopted 98-0

On amendment No. 2901 offered by the Senator from South Dakota, Mr. Thune (Roll Call No. 360)

Hagan voted "Nay"
Burr voted "Yea"
(51 yea - 47 nay) Motion was withdrawn under the previous agreement.

On amendment No. 2899, offered by the Senator from Michigan, Ms. Stabenow (Roll Call 361)

Hagan voted "Yea"
Burr voted "Yea"
Amendment adopted 97-1

On the Hatch motion to recommit:

Hagan voted "Nay"
Burr voted "Yea"
(41 yea - 57 nay) Motion was withdrawn under the previous agreement.

SOURCE: U.S. Senate

Health Care Roundup

News coverage is focusing on Senate consideration of amendments to the massive health reform bill.

The Associated Press: "Democratic senators are taking aim at insurance industry executive pay as they jockey for advantage in a rare weekend session to debate President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Republicans are showcasing the bill's cuts to Medicare, seeking to undermine support for the legislation among seniors and others as partisan debate rages ... Both sides were bracing for more grueling and unpredictable debates and negotiations Saturday, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., racing the clock to complete action on the 2,000-plus page bill by Christmas" (Werner, 12/5).

Fox News: "After five days of debate, only two issues have been tackled through amendments: expanding women's health screenings and Medicare. The really big issues remain stalled behind closed doors. ... Democrats are so far apart on their difference that they can't even bring up amendments to deal with them. It's so bad that, just to fill time, they spent most of Friday on nonbinding proposals that state they should be fiscally responsible, measures that would have no binding impact on health care legislation at all. (Carl Cameron, 12/4).

Read the rest...

SOURCE: Kaiser Health News