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| Senate Passes Set of Changes to Health Care Overhaul |
| 2010-03-26 |
| After running through an obstacle course of Republican amendments and procedural objections, the Senate on Thursday afternoon approved of a package of changes to the Democrats' sweeping health care overhaul, capping a bitter partisan battle over the most far-reaching social legislation in nearly half a century. Republicans, raising procedural challenges, identified flaws that struck out minor provisions to the bill. Because of those changes, it now goes back to the House for one more vote, though passage seemed virtually assured. Democrats said they were confident the measure would soon be on President Obama's desk for his signature. The vote, just after 2 p.m., was 56 to 43, with the Republicans unanimously opposed. Senators cast their votes standing individually at their desks, a ceremonial gesture reserved for historic occasions. Three Democrats opposed the measure, Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Ben Nelson of Nebraska. Senator Johnny Isakson, Republican of Georgia, was ill and did not vote. The bill, a budget reconciliation measure that the Republicans could not filibuster, also included a broad restructuring of federal student loan programs to pay for billions of dollars in school initiatives -- a centerpiece of Mr. Obama's education agenda that has been overshadowed by the larger health care fight. With both sides girding for a last round of parliamentary challenges, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived in the chamber to preside over the session in his role as president of the Senate. Mr. Biden served for 36 years as a senator from Delaware, making him intimately familiar with the chamber, its rules and precedents, and the main combatants on the floor. As Senator Judd Gregg formally made the procedural challenges, Mr. Biden twice replied, "The point of order is sustained." Then, he added, "Both provisions are stricken." Once the roll call was completed, Mr. Biden said, "There are 56 yeas and 43 nays, the bill as amended is passed." The vote came after Senate Democrats defeated more than 40 Republican amendments aimed at delaying or derailing the legislation, including proposals related to insurance coverage of erectile dysfunction drugs for convicted sex offenders, the legality of gay marriage in the District of Columbia, and gun rights. As the Senate worked into the pre-dawn hours of Thursday morning, the parliamentarian told lawmakers that he would strike out some provisions related to the education portion of the bill because they violated the complex budget reconciliation rules. One provision sought to prevent any annual decrease in the maximum amount of Pell grants for students from low-income families. Democrats said they would omit the disputed provisions, and advance the legislation. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 amendments aimed at delaying or derailing the legislation No, that was not the purpose, as they knew that was a lost cause. The amendments were introduced to force the Dems to cast votes which could be used against them in future campaigns. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-03-26 08:09 |
| #1 this sucks |
| Posted by: armyguy 2010-03-26 07:56 |