Senate passes first healthcare amendment, 61-39
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
The Senate today passed a women’s health amendment to the healthcare overhaul bill, the first such vote since the Senate began debate this week.
By a 61-39 vote, the Senate added the amendment that expands coverage to such procedures as mammograms and Pap smears by eliminating insurance co-payments and deductibles for many women. The amendment’s principal sponsor was Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.).
Three Republicans voted in the favor of the measure, and two Democrats opposed it. [Updated 10:18 a.m.: The Republicans were Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine, and David Vitter of Louisiana. Democrats Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Ben Nelson of Nebraska opposed the proposal.]
Republicans had offered their version of the amendment, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska that was expected to be rejected. [Updated at 9:40 a.m.: That amendment failed in a 41-59 vote, with 60 yes votes needed for passage.]
The basic difference is Republicans argued their version was less intrusive, without any mandates and stressed the relationship between patients and their doctors in deciding care. Democrats argued their version was superior because it forced the elimination of high insurance payments that prevent screenings.
In sharp contrast to the fight over other parts of healthcare overhaul, the debate over testing was remarkably cordial as female senators on both sides of the aisle explained how well they had worked together on a host of women’s health issues.
“I agree with the goals,” Texas Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said today of the Mikulski amendment, “but not the method.”
“I extend my hand in friendship” to female Republican senators, Mikulski said this morning. “We have done things that have saved millions of lives.”
That cordiality was in sharp contrast to this week’s debate as Republicans and Democrats sparred over this and other amendments.
This morning, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada accused Republicans of deliberately stalling. Minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky rejected the charge, saying his party was only exploring the issues.
The women’s health argument was also in sharp contrast to the fight over the Republican amendment, by Sen. John McCain of Arizona, which would send the bill back to committee to work out Medicare cuts.
Republicans have argued the cuts would decrease service to the elderly while Democrats insist that no services would be cut even though $460 billion would be eliminated over 10 years.
AARP, the lobbying group for retired persons, said it backed the Democrats’ version because the cuts would eliminate waste and inefficiency.
Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado was expected to introduce language today to guarantee no reduction in Medicare benefits.
The debate has been proceeding slowly, but Democrats insist they will be able to get the bill through the Senate by Christmas.
The Senate version would still need to be reconciled with the House version before going to President Obama.
--Michael Muskal and Noam N. Levey
Twitter.com/LATimesmuskalDemocrats accuse Republicans of stalling on healthcare
