Nov 21 2009
Dems Vote to Open Health Care Debate
The Senate will begin debate on its pending health-care reform legislation Nov. 30 on a 60-39 party-line vote Saturday. Ohio Republican Sen. George Voinovich didn’t vote. Otherwise, every Republican voted against starting debate and every Democrat and independent supported opening debate after a week-long Thanksgiving recess.
The 8 p.m. vote ended a rare Saturday session that featured more than 10 hours of discussion that alternated between parties each hour. The impassioned speeches clearly didn’t sway anyone to flip his or her vote.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) warned the only way to fundamentally change the 2,074-page bill introduced Wednesday night would be to vote against opening debate. There will be the opportunity to offer amendments. However, McConnell is right.
Think about it. Both sides acknowledge that 60 votes will be needed to pass an amendment since that number is necessary to end debate. There’s no way a Republican-sponsored amendment will attract 20 Democrats (counting independents Joe Lieberman and Bernie Sanders, who voted with them Saturday). Possibly 11 to make 51 if moderates like Mary Landrieu (Louisiana), Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas) or Jon Tester (North Dakota) want political cover. Never 20 though.
Meanwhile, several Democrats, such as Nebraska’s Ben Nelson, maintained they weren’t voting to approve the bill as currently constructed. They just want to allow debate and the chance to offer amendments. The GOP is trying to tie the procedural vote to defacto approval of the bill itself.
In any event, there isn’t much chance of an amendment Barbara Boxer of California might want, for example, drawing the favor of Montana’s Max Baucus. The Democrats may be united against the Republicans and for the idea of passing some sort of health care bill but the party is divided on the details, especially concerning the cost.
