Health care reform still has a lon way to go after the Senate cloture vote. AP Photo
Tonight the health care reform bill in the Senate is expected to pass a motion for cloture. The vote is one of three votes necessary to end debate on the bill before actually voting on the merits of the bill. The Senate is expected to eventually pass the actual bill on Thursday night after the time for all debate has expired.
Unfortunately for Democrats, and fortunately for Republicans, the bill still has a long way to go before it actually becomes law. Tonight's vote is important as health care reform has never come this far before but reform still must clear a number of hurdles after tonight's vote. First the Democrats must hold together over the coming days to pass two more cloture motions and then actually pass the bill with a majority vote. If just one Senator from the Democratic caucus changes their mind or falls ill it will prevent the cloture motions from passing.
Then if the bill passes Thursday it will go to conference to be reconciled with the bill from the House of Representatives. There are major differences between the two bills including:
(1) The House version includes a strong public option while the Senate version does not.
(2) The House bill's funding comes from a tax on the rich while the Senate's funding comes from a number of other taxes on medical device companies, tanning businesses, and "cadillac" health insurance plans.
(3) The House version includes tight restriction on abortion funding (referred to as the Stupak amendment) while the Senate version includes different language.
The bill that leaves conference must be passed exactly the same in both the House and the Senate. Therefore the conference members have the unenviable task of reconciling the differences while not losing one vote in the Senate or a few votes in the House.
Then once more the bill must be passed in both chambers of Congress. Once more Speaker Pelosi will have to piece together a coalition of progressives and moderates to form a majority in the House. Majority Leader Reid will once again be faced with getting all sixty members of his cuacus on board to end debate. Finally if all of that happens then the bill will be sent to the President's desk. At that point the President will likely quickly sign the bill after waiting for it since the beginning of the summer.
Comments
Soon to be ex-Senator Harry Reid could have used 'reconciliation' to get past Lieberman, one or two other Democrats & the 40 Republicans. The opposition would not have been much different than what we now have with 60 for & 40 against the current Senate bill. BUT, we would get a public option. Big difference than what we have now with this Senate bill which is a sell out to corporations.
The House bill has a public option in it & we could be getting a Senate bill with a public option in it, but Reid never had any intention of fighting for a public option. And neither did Obama, as many prominent progressive bloggers & columnists have shown. Obama worked in backroom deals to scuttle the public option.
Now it is up to the 60 Democrats in the House of Reps. They said that they would NOT vote yes for a final bill that did not have a public option. They will either keep their word or they won't. If they don't keep their word, they need to be voted out in November 2010 or primaried.
Americans need to send a message that if they do not stand firm but instead vote yes on a final bill that does not include a public option, then they have went back on their word to us and sold out to a so-called reform bill that is a sell-out to the corporations and therefore will be tossed out in November 2010 or primaried before then if possible.
This is the first BIG nail in the coffin. While you Circle Jerk with each other about how to divide up the spoils....the Truth is America is finished.
Many over 50 will not live to the age of their parents. And their grandchildren will be living in a social and financial hellhole, Taxed to the breaking point.
This is a Big win for the Ins. Industry, the Political Elite of Both Parties, Goldman Sachs and their Bankster handlers. Be prepared to pay those large Bonuses for years to come. And you can bet they are laughing their A $$ses off at you while the Vodka Gimlets run out of their noses.
Congratulations Ryan, the Socialist Utopia you've wanted is within a hairs breath.
It's almost 4 I have to start a shift at 6 so that I can pay your Health Care AND my own through my TAXES.
Jaime do you think you could be a little more melodramatic? Have you been weeping like this about our current medicare and social security systems? Its not socialism unless the govt. owns the hospitals and the doctors are employed by the government, neither of which is going to happen.
You're right, this is whittled down version of the bill is going to be a win for the insurance companies until we get a public option later down the road. But I'll take this for now until the opposition can be educated.
This is not pure socialism, but it is indeed a move in a socialist direction. It simply shows that there as been invasion of education system that people want this. Once upon a time American citizens wanted to work and earn, now they want to do the minimum to receive the scraps from the table. Once upon a time, citizens of this nation were creators and innovators with independent thought, now many want mandates and regulations and stagnation. It’s quite sad.
But for those who seek freedom and grasp tightly to the rights this country was founded on as I do, we still have our Constitution. Our founders did not provided our federal servants the power to mandate purchases such as health insurance, nor were they provided the right to create health systems or “public options.” I have confidence that our Constitution will hold.
Oh, Leander; I for one have no want for S.S. or Medicare/Medicaid. I would love to not have to pay into such poorly run systems!
Ryan, I think you're just falling into the media's desire to have this be a "nail-biter" for as long as possible. The 60 votes they got for cloture pretty much made it a done deal.
@Joe
The first Senate cloture vote was but one of three cloture votes. The last is Wednesday at 3 P.M. They each require 60 votes.
The last vote in the Senate on this is Thursday. It requires but a simple majority vote.
After that, it gets real nasty. It WILL go to conference where the House and Senate bill will have to be reconciled and hammered out
60 Progressives in the House signed a letter that they will vote no if there is no public option. 64 others who represent mostly Latinos said that they may not vote for the bill because the bill does not allow undocumented immigrants to get insured. And there are others in the House who feel as if they have been rolled, along with many progressive groups and organizations who also feel as if they have been rolled by Reid, Obama, Lieberman, Nelson and others.
I said...Within a hairs breath of Socialism...pretty clear.
I agree with your sentiments and Goals Constitutionalist....but it hasn't been protecting us much lately, in this and other related issues (off topic-but Obamas very recent request of the Supreme Court regarding "suspected enemy combatants"). You are right there is not provision to provide Public Option...but they will do it anyway inspite of the Constitution and in spite of the will of 64% against. We can hold onto our hope faith and confidence in the Constitution. That's what they want...while we're Hoping faithfully with Confidence...they will walk down the hall Snickering and pass it under our noses and above anyones Objections. Because the Constitution means nothing to THEM only to us. You see? They're not playing the same game as us.
Leander, Soc Sec and Medicare are a disaster and are broke. Medicare is $1 Tril in the red. Yes they are Socialist policies.
Ya planning on those Opposition Re-Education camps?
Oh and by the way Leander.....You're welcome for Me paying for your Health Ins.
Seeings how 'thank you' isn't in the Liberal/Socialist lexicon.
They substitute flipping the bird for that term. But conservatives still use it as well as "you're welcome". But that's because we haven't been educated yet into the ways of 'Community Organizers".
Jaime that's quite a generous offer. May I send you a payment coupon each month? You might want to lock in a pricing plan now, because my premium usually goes up about 20% each year. Thank you!
One of the 'obstacles' that won't affect their decision is the opinion of the American people! They'll hurry and get it done before they have to face the wrath of their constituents back home telling them to VOTE NO!!!
But they will face it on their next election day!!
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