Senate – News Stories About Senate - Page 38

2009:
The Year
Jackasses
Took Over

OPINION

Dec 17, 2009 6:19 AM CST

2009: The Year Jackasses Took Over

Hyper-partisanship rewarded as decorum departs Congress

(Newser) - Forget about donkeys and elephants, 2009 was the year of the political jackass, writes David Kuhn. The usual corruption and infidelities were on display, but that's nothing new. What is new are hyper-partisan, outburst-prone boors like Republican Joe "You Lie" Wilson and Democratic provocateur Rep. Alan Grayson—who "...

Senate's Reading
Marathon Ends Early

parliamentary maneuvers

Dec 16, 2009 4:12 PM CST

Senate's Reading Marathon Ends Early

Sanders pulls amendment after GOP delaying tactic

(Newser) - Pity the poor Senate clerk's office, which finds itself at the center of parliamentary games. Staffers spent nearly three hours today reading aloud an amendment—a move forced by Republican Tom Coburn to gum up the works—before independent Bernie Sanders angrily yanked it back. They had gotten only to...

Coburn Forces Hours-Long Reading to Stall Debate

SENATE games

Dec 16, 2009 1:25 PM CST

Coburn Forces Hours-Long Reading to Stall Debate

Parliamentary maneuver could take 8 hours or more

(Newser) - The Senate GOP has stalled floor debate on the health care reform bill with a demand that the entirety of a 767-page amendment be read aloud, a process that could take between 8 and 12 hours. The amendment’s sponsor, Independent Bernie Sanders, called the move by Tom Coburn a...

Take It Easy, Liberals,
This Bill Is Still Worthy

opinion

Dec 16, 2009 11:07 AM CST

Take It Easy, Liberals, This Bill Is Still Worthy

Kevin Drum: Even without the public option, it will make a difference

(Newser) - Kevin Drum wants his fellow liberals to "wake up and smell the decaf" on health care reform. Stop whining about the fading public option and keep things in perspective. "The bill in front of us—messy, incomplete, and replete with bribes to every interest group imaginable—is still...

Howard Dean:
Kill the Bill

health care reform

Dec 15, 2009 4:30 PM CST

Howard Dean: Kill the Bill

Lieberman's moves have made it worthless, he says

(Newser) - President Obama may be pushing for Senate Democrats to keep working on health care reform, but Howard Dean has had enough. The former party chairman says Joe Lieberman's success at weeding out the Medicare buy-in—which itself had replaced the public option—makes the bill worthless.

Dems Still Need Lieberman on Other Issues

analysis

Dec 15, 2009 2:00 PM CST

Dems Still Need Lieberman on Other Issues

White House working with him on climate change, gay benefits

(Newser) - Joe Lieberman’s health care gadfly act may have Democrats royally cheesed off, but they’re still working with the Connecticut senator on other important legislation. White House officials regularly meet with Lieberman on climate change, sources tell Talking Points Memo , as well as several bills in the Homeland Security...

Stop Citing Jewish Ethics Against Health Reform!

rabbis to lieberman:

Dec 15, 2009 10:48 AM CST

Stop Citing Jewish Ethics Against Health Reform!

Senator backed Medicare buy-in 3 months ago, and still should

(Newser) - “A hallmark of Judaism is disputation,” writes David Gibson, and it shows—Joe Lieberman is in a pitched battle with his home state coreligionists over health care reform. Rabbis from across Connecticut, in tones both dulcet and shrill, are lobbying the senator to drop his opposition to anything...

Lieberman's Sabbath Walk
Breaks GOP Filibuster

Dec 12, 2009 12:55 PM CST

Lieberman's Sabbath Walk Breaks GOP Filibuster

Spending bill clears hurdle when Joe casts final vote

(Newser) - Senate Democrats turned back a Republican effort to block a final vote on a huge end-of-year spending bill that gives most federal agencies a generous budget boost. The 60-34 vote largely along party lines met the minimum threshold to end the filibuster by Republicans, who say the $447 billion measure...

Harry Reid's No. 1 Priority
Is Harry Reid

dana Milbank

Dec 12, 2009 9:53 AM CST

Harry Reid's No. 1 Priority Is Harry Reid

A Senate majority leader needs to 'think bigger'

(Newser) - The Senate may be dealing with weighty issues like health care reform, but its majority leader's biggest concern is his own political skin, writes Dana Milbank. Harry Reid's selfish focus on re-election is getting in the way of his larger duties, and it's time Democrats woke up to this reality....

Obama Praises
Public-Option
Compromise

Dec 9, 2009 4:37 PM CST

Obama Praises Public-Option Compromise

President praises deal, says it will still provide more choice

(Newser) - President Obama applauded Senate Democrats for yielding on the public option in favor of a "creative framework" for health care reform that could attract wider support. "I support this effort, especially since it's aimed at increasing choice and competition and lowering cost," Obama said at a health...

Meet Orrin Hatch,
Hanukkah Songwriter

YES, THAT SENATOR DEPT

Dec 9, 2009 11:02 AM CST

Meet Orrin Hatch, Hanukkah Songwriter

The Utah Mormon is also a writer of love songs

(Newser) - Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch is a prolific author of love songs and Christian spirituals, but it took about 10 years for Jeffrey Goldberg to cajole the “philo-Semite” Mormon into writing a Hanukkah song. Goldberg first floated the idea for “Eight Days of Hanukkah” as an aside in an...

Reid Needs
Snowe's Vote

Analysis

Dec 9, 2009 10:41 AM CST

Reid Needs Snowe's Vote

Health care unlikely to pass without moderate Republican

(Newser) - Harry Reid’s leaky supermajority probably won’t hold together well enough to pass health care reform without an assist from Olympia Snowe. Though Reid announced yesterday that “consensus has been reached” among Democrats, any number of them could still peel off, including Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, or Independent...

Senate Rejects Nelson's
Abortion Amendment

Dec 8, 2009 4:44 PM CST

Senate Rejects Nelson's Abortion Amendment

He wanted tougher language, has vowed to vote against overall bill

(Newser) - The Senate today rejected an effort to stiffen abortion restrictions in the health care bill. The move could ultimately complicate Harry Reid's ability to get 60 votes for the overall bill. Democrat Ben Nelson and Republican Orrin Hatch wanted to ban any insurance plan that gets taxpayer dollars from offering...

Few Voters Go to Polls in Primary for Kennedy's Seat

Dec 8, 2009 11:14 AM CST

Few Voters Go to Polls in Primary for Kennedy's Seat

Martha Coakley favored in less-than-energetic race

(Newser) - A handful of voters have been trickling into polls around Massachusetts today for the special election that will almost certainly determine Ted Kennedy’s successor. As few as 300,000 to 500,000 may vote in the Democratic primary, the winner of which is expected to trounce Republican Scott Brown....

The Senate's Health Care Plan: Try Everything

analysis

Dec 7, 2009 2:27 PM CST

The Senate's Health Care Plan: Try Everything

Pilot programs might be the best way to solve the cost problem

(Newser) - The Senate health care plan ensures universal coverage, but when it comes to controlling costs, all it offers is…pilot programs. Sounds pretty flimsy, right? “Two thousand seventy-four pages and trillions of dollars later, this bill doesn’t even meet the basic goal,” complained Mitch McConnell, “to...

GOP: Congress, Prez Must Go On Public Option

bluff and counterbluff

Dec 7, 2009 9:28 AM CST

GOP: Congress, Prez Must Go On Public Option

If there is one, which we hope there isn't. Good idea, say Dems.

(Newser) - In the circus that is the Senate these days, a couple of anti-public-option Republicans—Tom Coburn and David Vitter—rolled out an amendment to the health care bill Friday requiring members of Congress to enroll in any such plan that might come to pass. When Dems didn’t object—Sherrod...

Obama Goes to Hill
Tomorrow to Cajole Dems

health care reform

Dec 5, 2009 4:14 PM CST

Obama Goes to Hill Tomorrow to Cajole Dems

He will meet with Senate Democrats to try to iron out differences

(Newser) - President Obama will head to Capitol Hill tomorrow afternoon to try to keep health care reform from flying off the track in the Senate. Obama will attend a meeting of Senate Democrats at 2pm as internal squabbles intensify over key parts of the legislation. The two big ones revolve around...

Senate Targets
Insurance
Exec Pay

rare saturday debate

Dec 5, 2009 9:40 AM CST

Senate Targets Insurance Exec Pay

Meanwhile GOP will keep battling Medicare cuts

(Newser) - Democratic senators are taking aim at insurance industry executive pay today as they jockey for advantage in a rare weekend session to debate health care overhaul. Republicans will be targeting the bill's cuts to Medicare, seeking to undermine support among seniors. With talks on the key divisive issues of abortion...

Max Baucus
Nominated His
Girlfriend for
US Attorney

Dec 5, 2009 5:42 AM CST

Max Baucus Nominated His Girlfriend for US Attorney

Woman withdrew after she moved in with Senate Dem

(Newser) - Max Baucus was having an affair with a woman he recommended for US attorney last year, the senator's office admitted last night after Roll Call reported the apparent lapse. Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and former state office director Melodee Hanes began their relationship in the summer...

Senate Abortion
Amendment Set to Fail

Dec 4, 2009 6:55 AM CST

Senate Abortion Amendment Set to Fail

But Ben Nelson says he won't vote for final bill if it does

(Newser) - Ben Nelson’s strict anti-abortion amendment appears set to fail, despite the support of nearly all 40 Senate Republicans. The amendment, which mirrors the language of Bart Stupak’s House amendment, banning insurance companies that offer abortion from receiving government funds, would need 60 votes to pass, and there’s...