Senate

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Three Dems Threaten to Block Health Debate

Reid & Co. scramble to appease Lincoln, Nelson and Landrieu

(Newser) - Three Senate Democrats are threatening to prevent the health care reform bill from even making it to the floor of the chamber. Normally it’s a routine procedure to get the 60 votes necessary to open debate on a bill, but Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, and Mary Landrieu are balking...

Robert Byrd Now Longest-Serving Legislator Ever

By the senator's count, his career spanned 20,774 days

(Newser) - West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd has become the longest-serving lawmaker in congressional history, a milestone to be marked today with a Senate resolution. "I look forward to serving you for the next 56 years and 320 days," Byrd said, adding that he was sorry his late wife...

Senate Delays Climate Bill
 Senate Delays Climate Bill 
Nov 18, 2009 1:20 AM CST

Senate Delays Climate Bill

Cap-and-trade won't be debated at least until spring

(Newser) - Senate Democrats have announced that they won't be debating a major climate bill until sometime in the spring. The delay, which reduces America's bargaining power at next month's Copenhagen conference, reflects weakening support for the controversial "cap-and-trade" bill as unemployment remains high, the Wall Street Journal notes. The bill...

Hutchison Won't Resign Senate Seat

Will stay put to fight health care reform, cap and trade

(Newser) - Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is challenging Texas Gov. Rick Perry for his job, is planning to keep her US Senate seat until after the state's March gubernatorial primary. Hutchison, a Republican, plans to tell Republican women in a speech in Galveston today that she is stepping down in 2010...

Why the Senate Health Bill Will Move at a Crawl
Why the Senate Health Bill Will Move at a Crawl
ANALYSIS
Nov 12, 2009 4:55 AM CST

Why the Senate Health Bill Will Move at a Crawl

Dems will be lucky to get it through before xmas

(Newser) - The House version of the health bill galloped from introduction to passage in just 10 days, but the Senate's version won't be through until Christmas at the earliest. Suzy Khimm at the New Republic explains the reasons for the snail's pace.
  • The Senate has to vote on a “motion
...

Dems Should Embrace a Health Care Filibuster
Dems Should Embrace a Health Care Filibuster
Steven Pearlstein
Nov 11, 2009 1:07 PM CST

Dems Should Embrace a Health Care Filibuster

Open, Senate debate is preferable to backroom negotiations

(Newser) - The Senate is broken, writes Steven Pearlstein , its members so mired in dysfunction they don’t even realize how undemocratic current legislative practice is. The mere threat of a filibuster is enough to kill a bill, a fact that "violates the letter and spirit of the US Constitution."...

Dodd Unveils Sweeping Financial Overhaul Bill

It would create new oversight agencies

(Newser) - Chris Dodd introduced a sweeping financial regulation bill that creates no fewer than three new agencies to oversee the banking industry. Dodd’s bill creates an Agency for Financial Stability to identify systemic risks to the economy as a whole. It entrusts all bank supervision to the Financial Institutions Regulatory...

Senate Dems Say Obama Plans Don't Fix Spending

Say legislation isn't aggressive enough on fee-for-service model

(Newser) - Some Democrats in the Senate are worried that reform legislation under consideration doesn't do enough to rein in out-of-control health care spending. President Obama has promised $2 trillion in savings over the next 10 years, but critics say the proposed changes aren't nearly aggressive enough on the current pay-per-visit system...

Senate Health Bill Runs Into Abortion Divide

Both sides have vocal opponents, could halt bill without compromise

(Newser) - With a last-second concession barring federal dollars from funding abortions, Nancy Pelosi largely skirted the full brunt of the issue, but Harry Reid may not be so lucky. The Senate majority leader likely won't get the 60 votes he needs without similar language— which a Planned Parenthood VP calls a...

Bill Clinton to Corral Senate Dems on Health Care

Meets with caucus as fight over abortion funding heats up

(Newser) - Bill Clinton is expected to speak to Senate Democrats about health care legislation during their weekly caucus today. Clinton's appearance comes as fragile Democratic unity is threatened by abortion opponents in the Senate seeking similar restrictions in the bill to those in the House version passed Saturday. Nebraska Sen. Ben...

Abortion Dispute Could Derail Health Care Bill

Some Dems vow to block final passage

(Newser) - The abortion funding ban included in the health-care bill passed by the House Saturday could doom it down the road, as abortion supporters in the Senate threaten revolt, and those who voted for it in the House vow they won't back the final bill if it's still included, the Washington...

Obama Can, Should Lock Congress In Until Health Vote
Obama Can, Should Lock Congress In Until Health Vote
JACK CAFFERTY
Nov 6, 2009 6:24 PM CST

Obama Can, Should Lock Congress In Until Health Vote

Constitution would allow it, so let's get a yea or nay

(Newser) - Grumpy old man Jack Cafferty is getting tired of Congress dragging out health reform, and wants President Obama to get lawmakers motivated. Using his constitutional powers, Obama should deliver this ultimatum: I’m ordering the Congress to remain in session until both houses vote on a final version of health-care...

Let States Lead on Health Care
 Let States Lead on Health Care 
NEWT GINGRICH & RICK PERRY
Nov 6, 2009 1:44 PM CST

Let States Lead on Health Care

Federal meddling will only lead to higher prices and crappy care

(Newser) - The states have a handle on health care reform, write Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, and the federal government urgently needs to take a lesson from them. “Texas, for example, has adopted approaches to controlling health-care costs while improving choice, advancing quality of care and expanding coverage” write the...

Dems Torn: Too Much Change, or Not Enough?
 Dems Torn: Too Much 
 Change, or Not Enough? 
ELECTION FALLOUT
Nov 5, 2009 9:15 AM CST

Dems Torn: Too Much Change, or Not Enough?

Do voters want them to ditch presidential agenda, or complete it?

(Newser) - Democrats in Congress reading the tea leaves of Tuesday’s elections find themselves split: were the Republican wins in Virginia and New Jersey a vote of no confidence in the administration’s agenda, or frustration that it isn’t moving fast enough? Most agree on the first step going forward:...

Dodd Declares War With Senate Bank Bill

Senator readies radical overhaul of finance regulation

(Newser) - A Senate bill that would fundamentally change the structure of banking regulation is headed for a clash with both the House and the White House. Christopher Dodd is readying a proposal to strip the Fed and FDIC of almost all bank-supervision powers, creating in their place a new agency that...

GOP Boycotts Climate Bill, Dems Get Bored
GOP Boycotts Climate Bill, Dems Get Bored
Dana Milbank
Nov 4, 2009 11:08 AM CST

GOP Boycotts Climate Bill, Dems Get Bored

Climate hearing boycott ends with whimper

(Newser) - For a while yesterday, Democrats got to live the dream: a world without Republicans. The GOP made good on its promise to boycott the Senate environment committee’s hearing on its climate change bill, and Democrats had a good time lambasting them in absentia, calling them the party of “...

Lieberman Won't Sink Health Reform: Reid
 Lieberman Won't Sink 
 Health Reform: Reid 
DC GOSSIP
Nov 3, 2009 8:43 AM CST

Lieberman Won't Sink Health Reform: Reid

Indy senator promises he'll vote with Dems to end filibuster

(Newser) - Forget all the grandstanding about joining a GOP filibuster of health care reform if it contains any kind of public option: Sen. Joe Lieberman won't do it, Harry Reid tells liberal interest groups, who tell the Hill . He has a deal with the Connecticut Independent, the majority leader claims. Lieberman...

Healthcare Bill Boosts Pay for Prayer

Insurance firms urged to cover praying healers

(Newser) - A little-noticed provision in a Senate version of the pending health care bill would require insurance companies to consider paying for prayer as a medical expense. The addition was inserted by Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch and backed by Democrats John Kerry and Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, the home state...

Dems Use Nukes to Lure GOP to Climate Bill

Plants, drilling offered as sweetener for cap-and-trade

(Newser) - The climate change bill up for Senate committee debate tomorrow doesn't stand a chance unless its Democratic backers can sweet talk some of their GOP colleagues, the Washington Post reports. The legislation focuses on a cap-and-trade system where companies could buy and sell emissions permits as needed. But Republican support...

Pelosi to Unveil Bill With Weaker Public Option

Liberals suck it up as plan tied to Medicare rates lacks votes

(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi will unveil her long-awaited version of the health care reform bill today, but it won’t include the top item on liberals’ wish list: a public option with rates tied to Medicare. Instead, the bill contains a weaker version of the government-run plan that would let doctors negotiate...

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