Hours after the Senate cleared a set of key procedural hurdles on President Obama's health-care legislation with more party-line votes, leaders set a vote on passage of the bill for 8 a.m. on Christmas Eve.
Hours after the Senate cleared a set of key procedural hurdles on President Obama's health-care legislation with more party-line votes, leaders set a vote on passage of the bill for 8 a.m. on Christmas Eve.
It was the second time in five days that the Senate -- now in its 23rd straight day of legislative action, all of which has included debate on health care -- has convened in the wee morning hours to hold votes. In addition to the votes Tuesday, which began at 7:30, and a 6:45 a.m. vote Saturday, there were two votes that began shortly after 1 a.m. -- on a defense bill Friday, and on the health-care package Monday.
Lacking the votes to block the health-care bill, Republicans continued to heap scorn on the many concessions made to wavering Democrats in the quest to advance the package.
Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) took to the floor to lambaste Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) for securing better payments from the federal government for their state's Medicaid program, which could add up to $300 million. Some have called that side deal the "Louisiana Purchase," but Vitter's speech was titled the "Louisiana Sellout," a particularly sharp critique of his home-state colleague.
On Monday, Republican Party Chairman Michael S. Steele accused Democrats of "thumbing their nose and flipping the bird to the American people." Conceding that the Senate bill is virtually unstoppable, Steele said in a conference call with reporters: "I intend to have my foot on the throats of the Democrats on this issue and hold them accountable." Democrats seeking reelection in 2010, he warned, "can look for their pink slips."
Reid responded by telling reporters he was "disappointed" by Steele's remarks, calling them "crass and such a terrible example for the youth of this country."
But Reid defended the long list of revisions to the bill, which were needed to secure the backing of moderate Democrats such as Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.). Those changes contained additional Medicaid funding for specific states including Nebraska, exemptions for certain insurance companies and tighter restrictions on abortion coverage. "There are 100 senators here, and I don't know that there's a senator that doesn't have something in this bill that isn't important to them," Reid told reporters. "If they don't have something in it important to them, then it doesn't speak well of them."
The majority leader compared the legislation to a defense bill, typically thick with earmarks, many benefiting specific companies. "That's what legislation's all about," said Reid. "It's the art of the compromise."
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