Obama & Biden Voted to Filibuster Small Business Health Plans:
Despite a majority (55) of the Senate voting to move forward, Obama & Biden helped kill the bill.
Small Business Health Plans – Cloture:
Motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting debate) on the Frist, R-Tenn., substitute amendment that would allow small businesses to pool their employees to provide group health insurance coverage by amending Title I of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act. It would allow the plans to bypass many, but not all, state benefit mandates. The substitute would reduce the underlying bill’s allowable disparity between the highest price and the lowest price charged to different groups for insurance premiums.
May 11, 2006
Motion rejected by a vote of 55-43:
Republicans 53-1
Democrats 2-41
Independents 0-1
Meanwhile, CBS News reports, “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters Tuesday that Republicans ’should stop crying’ about the possible use of the parliamentary procedure known as budget reconciliation to pass a health care reform bill. Reid said reconciliation had been used 21 times since 1981, mostly by Republicans when they were in control of the Senate for the passage of items like the Bush tax cuts” (Montopoli, 2/23). Still, The Boston Globe reports that Republicans are saying the fact that Democrats are discussing reconciliation on the eve of a planned bipartisan health summit Thursday is sending mixed messages.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters Tuesday that Republicans ’should stop crying’ about the possible use of the parliamentary procedure known as budget reconciliation to pass a health care reform bill. Reid said reconciliation had been used 21 times since 1981, mostly by Republicans when they were in control of the Senate for the passage of items like the Bush tax cuts
Related posts:
- Democrats, Including Then Senators Obama and Biden, Attack Reconciliation “Nuclear Option”
- $436 BILLION! In Tax Credits For Insurance Companies In The Senate Health Bill
- Single Payer Health Insurance By Proxy
- Democrats Threaten Reconciliation At ‘Bipartisan’ Health Talks
- Obama Health Regulations Guarantee 51% CANNOT Keep Their Current Coverage
