Senate resumes healthcare overhaul debate
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The Senate resumed debate on the healthcare overhaul this morning with the continuing fight over Medicare dollars and with the divisive issue of abortion expected later in the day.
Opening this morning’s session, Majority Leader Harry Reid told senators they could expect to work through the weekend again as Democrats pushed to get a bill passed this year. Off camera, Democrats continued the work on a compromise on the public option that could cement the needed 60 votes for passage.
Sen. Judd Gregg, (R-NH) this morning pushed for his amendment designed to prevent the use of money saved from Medicare to be used to fund any new program in the overhaul bill. The amendment is part of the GOP’s ongoing argument that cuts in Medicare spending translate into service cuts for seniors.
Democrats disagree with the Republican position. They say the money cut from Medicare would come from eliminating waste and fraud.
Debate over abortion could begin today with an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska), who is seeking language similar to that used in the House version of the healthcare reform bill that passed last month and that would bar federally subsidized health insurance plans from covering many abortions, even if the procedure were privately funded.
The language was included as part of a compromise to get the bill through the House. But liberals are angry over the language, which they contend goes further than existing federal policy.
Appearing on CBS’ “The Early Show” this morning, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) said the amendment was unneeded and that language in the bill now on the Senate floor continued the policy prohibiting federal funds for abortion. She argued that the amendment “goes further. You can’t use private money in the private market, and frankly, I think that goes too far.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she expected the language to be dropped when the House and Senate tried to reconcile their different bills before sending a final version to President Obama.
A vote on the Nelson amendment is expected perhaps as soon as Tuesday.
--Michael Muskal
