Thu, Jul 17, 2008 (2:04 a.m.)

In the middle of treatment to stave off terminal brain cancer, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., returned to the Senate last week in dramatic fashion. He walked onto the floor to thunderous applause and went to the clerk’s desk, where he cast the deciding vote on a Medicare funding bill.

Kennedy, who recently had surgery, is supposed to be resting as he undergoes chemotherapy, but his return was necessitated by Republican obstinacy.

The bill will prevent Medicare payments to doctors from being cut by 10 percent. Low reimbursement rates have threatened to cripple the program as many doctors refuse to take Medicare patients. A further cut would likely cause thousands more doctors to follow suit, making it difficult for the nearly 40 million people on Medicare to find adequate health care.

Although they say they want to stop the cut from taking effect, many Republicans wouldn’t vote for the bill. Democrats had enough votes to pass the bill, but they needed one more vote to reach 60, the number of votes needed to stop Republican stalling tactics.

As Lisa Mascaro reported in Friday’s Las Vegas Sun, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., made a call to Kennedy and asked whether he could return for the vote.

“He’s not supposed to be flying, he’s not supposed to be around people, his immune system is down,” Reid said.

But Kennedy made the trip, saying he was committed to supporting the program that so many seniors rely upon for medical care.

Kennedy’s valiant return was bolstered by the support of an additional nine Republicans, making the final vote 69-30. That was important because it gave the Senate enough votes to override the veto President Bush issued Tuesday.

Of course, it shouldn’t have come down to a veto override. Medicare is a vitally important part of the nation’s health care system. Instead of obstructing seniors’ access to health care, President Bush and the Republicans should be supporting it.