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StumbleHealth care debate off to rocky start in Senate
Monday, Nov. 30, 2009 | 1:46 p.m.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gestures while speaking on health care reform during a news conference, Monday, Oct. 26, 2009, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Sun Coverage
WASHINGTON -- Well, this does not look good. The Senate opened the health care debate this afternoon with a caustic exchange that shows what a long, hard slog these next few weeks might be.
The two sides were testy even as they began. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sought to restrict amendments, and was met by an objection from the Republican floor manager, Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming, who complained that the proposal Reid was making was different from one shown just 90 seconds earlier.
Enzi called it “something that is not understandable." He objected.
“It’s not too difficult to comprehend,” Reid offered, repeating the proposal to limit amendments.
Next, Reid sought to have all amendments posted online, a shout-out to the transparency efforts of Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, who has insisted that the legislation be posted for 72 hours, and remains one of the Democratic senators whose support for the final bill Reid is trying to win.
Enzi, worried that posting requirements would limit the chance for his side to offer amendments, said he must object to that, too.
Reid complained that Republicans were blocking even the most simple requests.
“This is not a good way to start this debate,” Reid said.
Enzi was equally displeased. “I’m a little bit upset by what just happened here,” he said.
In opening the Senate, Reid said that the chamber will be in session “weekends, plural” as Democrats work toward achieving the majority leader’s goal of completing work on President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority by year’s end.
Reid often threatens weekend sessions as a way to prod lawmakers along, but this time he is being taken more seriously.
“Saturdays and Sundays,” Reid said.
What a long haul it will be.
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The Republican party of NO! keeps on goose-stepping to lower approval polling numbers.
Ksand, for the record, Nazis wanted to offer cradle to grave health care. So stop with the stupid goose-step trolling.
Universal health care or a public option would be a financial disaster for our country. There are FAR better and FAR cheaper alternatives to solve our health care problems.
Is the GOP afraid we will see that their amendments are payoffs to their real owners: the insurance companies? Surely they want the "bragging rights".
My favorite: NO CONGRESSPERSON may under any circumstances participate in ANY insurance plan for federal employees or for them alone unless and until at least 95% of their constituents are covered by insurance. Any CONGRESSPERSON violating this law will be considered taking a bribe and be liable for no less than 20 years in prison, no parole, and a one million dollar a day fine.
The problem is the GOP would never have presented any Healthcare reform at all. The dems are the only ones with the balls to bring this to the front of the line.
The fight is between the PAID OFF REPUBLICANS who are fighting for the health insurance companies and the DEMOCRATS who are fighting for the American people.
Big business vs. human decency.
Republicans continue to embarrass this country on the global stage.
The ONLY debate should be the Republicans explaining to the American people why our tax paying dollars can pay for their government run health care insurance (that they get for life) and why we can't have the same?
We probably paid for John Ensigns Viagra pills and for his case of the clap. Still scratching, John?
Sorry Caroll but the majority of people in the country do not want government healthcare. Go read some polls. While I don't especially like insurance companies, I have always had very good medical from my insurer. I don't like government, in fact I despise Harry Greid, Nancy Botox Piglosi and the idiot in the White House.
I have a great idea, why don't you pay for your health care and I will pay for mine. I cannot think of anything more fair than that.
Harry Greid uses uses a lot more Viagra than John Ensign. Ensign screwed his employee. Greid is screwing the whole country.
Patrick, you must not be aware that "goose-stepping" has contexts other than Nazism.
But I find it fascinating that you connected the party of NO! with the Nazis.
Carry on.
Wait till the Union members find out their insurance is considered Cadillac. See how many votes harry gets then.
The only people making out on this bill are the social parasites and big money corporate.
Hard working taxpayers get the shaft again.
The US is the ONLY industrialized country WITHOUT NATIONAL HEALTHCARE!
WHy?
RICH people run this country and they want to be able to make sure that the poor and middle class NEVER get any money- so they make sure that they have to pay for twice as much health care -than any other country.
Why are we paying TWICE as MUCH?
WE are sicker and don't live as long.
So we pay twice as much for poor quality health care.
I'd like to know why my perfectly appropriate comment was deleted. I attacked no one, and it was on topic.
Here's the bill (all 2074 pages of it) from Senator Reid's website:
http://democrats.senate.gov/reform/patie...
I can say without exception, I bet that more of us will read the bill than the elected Politicos who are voting on it, (and probably understand it better, too...).
Under different "leadership" this would still be an "iffy" deal. With Gried, it's quite dead.
If you Dems want healthcare in THIS lifetime, then get rid of the most useless pile of it to ever occupy a Sinate seat.
kiss&69: what planet do you live on? The Democrap Party is imploding.
Ksand, what other connection were you trying to make? A dumb unrelated connection? Probably.
Reid's Forced Health Insurance bill, fails to disclose that annual costs of Forced Health Insurance will disqualify millions of homebuyer mortgage applicants, needed to support home selling prices and values. It is foreseeable those insurance costs will cause home buyers to qualify for smaller mortgages lowering home selling prices. Obama appears unconcerned forced health insurance costs will disqualify middle class home buyers that support the housing market, that secure trillions in mortgages held by U.S. banks. For many, forced health insurance costs may equal their paid Income Tax increasing the risks of mortgage default. Homeowners who can't afford health insurance or opt-out penalties, IRS can file liens destroying their credit; families deemed not poor by Government for subsidized insurance, may have to sell their homes or borrow money to buy health insurance or pay Opt-Out penalties with money needed for medical expenses.
Lisa, I really liked your understated opening: "Well, this does not look good."
Voters remain more confident in Republicans than in Democrats this month on virtually all of the key electoral issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports.