Health Care Bill Voting Today: What It Isn't

By Jeralyn, Section Legislation
Posted on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 03:13:06 PM EST
Tags: health care reform (all tags)

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While Sen. Harry Reid has 60 votes for tonight's vote, you have to read the fine print to know what it means and doesn't mean. It's not a vote on the health care bill, but only a vote on whether debate can begin on it.

[T]his vote simply says that the Senate is prepared to have a debate on the bill. From here, the bill will be discussed and possibly amended. Then Reid must find another sixty votes to end the debate, and then he'll need at least 51 Senators who want to vote the final product up. Clearly his work is far from over.

CNN: [More...]

If Republicans stay unified in opposition to the bill, Reid would need the support of all 58 Senate Democrats as well as independent Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut to overcome a filibuster.

In other words,

The legislative game is just beginning. Expect several weeks of amendments being introduced, impassioned debates on the Senate floor and news conferences for and against the proceedings.

If the Senate manages to pass a bill, a congressional conference committee would need to merge the House and Senate proposals into a consensus version requiring final approval from each chamber before moving to President Obama's desk to be signed into law.

Debate on the actual bill isn't expected until after Thanksgiving. I agree with BTD that today's proceedings are pretty much a waste of time.

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Health Care Bill Voting Today: What It Isn't | 7 comments (7 topical)

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FWIW (none / 0) (#1)
by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 03:14:39 PM EST

Our readership knows this already.

I didn't know (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by Jeralyn on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 03:17:49 PM EST

which is why I wrote it. There's lots of people who come by here for legal news that aren't following every twist and turn in the health care debate. I had to read four articles to figure out what is being voted on today and what isn't. The buzz words are great for people who closely follow the bill, but for some of the rest of us, we just need a clear statement of what's going on and what isn't.


: Wishful thinking. See comments to (none / 0) (#3)
by oculus on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 04:00:38 PM EST

BTD's post below.

I'm also following (none / 0) (#4)
by Jeralyn on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 04:25:09 PM EST

#hcr and #senatedebate and #publicoption on twitter. Ir's interesting to read both those who are passionately supporting and passionately opposing.

The Republican senators (none / 0) (#5)
by Jeralyn on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 04:33:57 PM EST

have their soundbites down. Sen. Richard Burr calls it Reid's "layaway plan." Some Fla. Senator calls it "Medicaid for All" -- after admitting he hasn't read the whole thing but "they" (meaning his staff) have poured over some parts.

McConnell on amendments: the time to change the bill was prior to tonight. But there will be many proposed amendments. "The polls are unanimous, the American people don't want us to pass this bill.")

Amendments will start Nov. 30. It will be a lengthy process. Says the vote to terminate the process won't be until late Dec or Januaary. "The American people are asking us to stop this bill."

: Wonderful comment re Burr (none / 0) (#6)
by Cream City on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 04:43:22 PM EST

at FDL, as he pulled the posing with the stack of paper and claimed it was the health care bill (which actually, at less than 1,000 sheets of paper, would be less than two reams tall).
The comment was that Burr is complaining that there are just too darn many words in that thar bill.

"Reid has 60 votes for tonight's vote" (none / 0) (#7)
by ChiTownDenny on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 04:47:57 PM EST

This is NEWS. I have been out of the loop for, oh, 24 hours. I'm skeptical, yet optimistic. No filibustering? We're closer than ever. God bless (and I'm agnostic!).