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| Lickin' Ass And Goin' Insane... |
 Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 3:10 am |
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(Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!)
A healthcare reform bill with a government-run insurance option faced
an uncertain future in the Senate, with many centrist Democrats
uncommitted and Sen. Joe Lieberman strongly opposed.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/33504744
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid's decision to include a government-
run "public" option in the Senate bill failed to sway about a dozen
moderates who said they wanted more details before making their
decisions.
Democrats said Reid was still short of the 60 votes needed to overcome
procedural hurdles and pass a bill with a public option, which has
become one of the most contentious issues in the debate on President
Barack Obama's top domestic priority.
The healthcare bills in the Senate and the House aim to rein in costs,
expand coverage to millions of uninsured and bar insurers from denying
coverage for pre-existing conditions or dropping coverage for the
sick.
Health insurer stocks rallied Tuesday on skepticism that a government-
run plan, seen as detrimental to the industry, would win passage. That
view was fueled by Lieberman's comments.
Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said he would
not join Republicans on a procedural vote to block the healthcare bill
from coming up for debate, but would be willing to block a final vote
on the plan if it remained unchanged.
"I don't support a government-operated health insurance company that
will end up costing the taxpayers a lot of money," he told reporters.
Democrats on the Fence
Sen. Olympia Snowe, the only Republican to support a healthcare bill
in a congressional committee, opposes the public option and said she
would vote with her fellow Republicans to block a motion to proceed to
debate.
"Once you put in a motion to proceed, then it's very difficult to
change it," she told reporters.
Democrats cannot afford to lose the support on healthcare of any of
their members in the Senate where they control 60 votes. As a result,
they must woo about a dozen uncommitted moderates. |
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