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Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington -
With the crucial support of a trio of centrists, Democrats seemed assured today of winning a procedural vote to allow debate on a sweeping overhaul of healthcare after Thanksgiving.
Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln said she will vote today to bring her party's healthcare bill to the floor, following a colleague, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, to the Senate floor to announce her decision. The third senator, Nebraskan Ben Nelson, on Friday had announced his support for full debate.
The three were part of the 60 votes needed to pass cloture on a motion to proceed -- the mechanism to bring the Democratic-backed healthcare bill to the floor and open formal debate. The vote is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST.
But in separate statements, they each said that just because they supported cloture doesn't mean that they will support the final healthcare bill.
"I will vote in support of cloture on the motion to proceed on this bill," Lincoln said on the Senate floor.
"Let me be perfectly clear. I am opposed to a new government-administered healthcare plan as a part of comprehensive health insurance reform and I will not vote for the proposal that has been introduced," Lincoln said. She said she was looking forward to being able to offer amendments.
"I don't agree with everything in this bill,' she said, but "I have concluded that I believe it is more important that we begin this debate to improve our nation's healthcare system for all Americans, rather than simply drop the issue and walk. That's not what people sent us here to do."
Of the three centrists, Lincoln has been the target of the most political pressure because she faces a tough reelection campaign next year. Lincoln took note of the political reality by saying she will not bend to pressure from the left or right.
Earlier, Landrieu said she would vote for cloture.
"After a thorough review of the bill," she said on the Senate floor, "I have decided there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward but much more work needs to be done."
"My vote today to move forward on this important debate should in no way be construed on how I might vote" on the final bill, she said.
Tonight's vote is just a procedure on the road to the dealing with healthcare overhaul. Democrats need 60 votes to bring the bill to the floor so that the debate on its merits, expected to begin after Thanksgiving, can take place.
There are 58 Democrats in the Senate and two independents who usually vote with them. But the healthcare bill has opened splits within the caucus, though Majority Leader Harry Reid worked hard, and is expected to be able, to hold his troops together at least through tonight.
For example, Reid included language in his healthcare bill that would boost aid for Louisiana's Medicaid insurance program for the poor in a bid for Landrieu's support.
Reid's healthcare bill will cost $848 billion over 10 years, less than the version that the House narrowly passed this month. The bills also differ on how they handle a public option, the number of new people who will be insured and how to raise money for the program.
All of the details will need to be worked out in a conference with House leaders if the Senate passes its version of the bill. President Obama has said he hoped to sign a final bill into law this year, though that deadline seems ambitious.
The Senate debate, which began Friday, had two goals: to convince lawmakers to back the opening of debate and to provide a forum for the opening salvos on the issues that are expected to dominate the Senate for weeks.
All 40 Republican senators are expected to oppose cloture. So Republicans used their time to argue their key points: that the Democratic bill was too expensive, would hurt to economy and was funded through onerous taxes and budget gimmicks.
"Move over, Bernie Madoff. Tip your hat to a trillion-dollar scam," Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) said today on the floor.
Democrats have argued that healthcare reform was long overdue, that the current bill was both prudent and necessary and that failure to pass reform would hurt the country's economy more.
"The country suffers when there is a failure to act on serious challenges that millions of ordinary Americans face in their daily lives," Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said today.
Noam.levey@latimes.com
Michael.muskal@latimes.com
Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln said she will vote today to bring her party's healthcare bill to the floor, following a colleague, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, to the Senate floor to announce her decision. The third senator, Nebraskan Ben Nelson, on Friday had announced his support for full debate.
The three were part of the 60 votes needed to pass cloture on a motion to proceed -- the mechanism to bring the Democratic-backed healthcare bill to the floor and open formal debate. The vote is scheduled for 5 p.m. PST.
But in separate statements, they each said that just because they supported cloture doesn't mean that they will support the final healthcare bill.
"I will vote in support of cloture on the motion to proceed on this bill," Lincoln said on the Senate floor.
"Let me be perfectly clear. I am opposed to a new government-administered healthcare plan as a part of comprehensive health insurance reform and I will not vote for the proposal that has been introduced," Lincoln said. She said she was looking forward to being able to offer amendments.
"I don't agree with everything in this bill,' she said, but "I have concluded that I believe it is more important that we begin this debate to improve our nation's healthcare system for all Americans, rather than simply drop the issue and walk. That's not what people sent us here to do."
Of the three centrists, Lincoln has been the target of the most political pressure because she faces a tough reelection campaign next year. Lincoln took note of the political reality by saying she will not bend to pressure from the left or right.
Earlier, Landrieu said she would vote for cloture.
"After a thorough review of the bill," she said on the Senate floor, "I have decided there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward but much more work needs to be done."
"My vote today to move forward on this important debate should in no way be construed on how I might vote" on the final bill, she said.
Tonight's vote is just a procedure on the road to the dealing with healthcare overhaul. Democrats need 60 votes to bring the bill to the floor so that the debate on its merits, expected to begin after Thanksgiving, can take place.
There are 58 Democrats in the Senate and two independents who usually vote with them. But the healthcare bill has opened splits within the caucus, though Majority Leader Harry Reid worked hard, and is expected to be able, to hold his troops together at least through tonight.
For example, Reid included language in his healthcare bill that would boost aid for Louisiana's Medicaid insurance program for the poor in a bid for Landrieu's support.
Reid's healthcare bill will cost $848 billion over 10 years, less than the version that the House narrowly passed this month. The bills also differ on how they handle a public option, the number of new people who will be insured and how to raise money for the program.
All of the details will need to be worked out in a conference with House leaders if the Senate passes its version of the bill. President Obama has said he hoped to sign a final bill into law this year, though that deadline seems ambitious.
The Senate debate, which began Friday, had two goals: to convince lawmakers to back the opening of debate and to provide a forum for the opening salvos on the issues that are expected to dominate the Senate for weeks.
All 40 Republican senators are expected to oppose cloture. So Republicans used their time to argue their key points: that the Democratic bill was too expensive, would hurt to economy and was funded through onerous taxes and budget gimmicks.
"Move over, Bernie Madoff. Tip your hat to a trillion-dollar scam," Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) said today on the floor.
Democrats have argued that healthcare reform was long overdue, that the current bill was both prudent and necessary and that failure to pass reform would hurt the country's economy more.
"The country suffers when there is a failure to act on serious challenges that millions of ordinary Americans face in their daily lives," Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said today.
Noam.levey@latimes.com
Michael.muskal@latimes.com
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