Health care bill clears 2nd Senate hurdle Tues.
WASHINGTON — Two down and one to go. The health care bill has passed another 60-vote test in the Senate.Democrats remained united as they started voting at sunrise Tuesday, pushing toward…
WASHINGTON — Two down and one to go. The health care bill has passed another 60-vote test in the Senate.Democrats remained united as they started voting at sunrise Tuesday, pushing toward their goal of passing President Barack Obama's health care overhaul by Christmas.With not a vote to spare, the Senate voted 60-39 to shut off debate on Majority Leader Harry Reid's version of the bill. An earlier vote to approve a 400-page package of changes that sealed Democratic support for the health care bill also passed 60-39, though only a simple majority was required. No Republicans voted in favor.With partisan feelings running high, Reid appealed to senators to forgo personal attacks. Democrats must pass another 60-vote test Wednesday before they vote on final passage, expected to come on Christmas Eve.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.WASHINGTON (AP) — Exhausted but happy Democratic leaders began nudging their painstakingly crafted health care compromise a step closer to pre-Christmas passage with three votes that started as the sun rose Tuesday.Only one requires the difficult tally of 60 senators, and the outcome of that vote — to overcome GOP opposition to the sweeping legislation — is preordained. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has herded 58 Democrats and two independents into line through a combination of wheedling, cajoling and dispensing special deals. The strategy has Republicans irate."That's not change you can believe in. That's sleazy," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC's "Today" show Tuesday, just before the voting began.Reid makes no apologies."I don't know if there's a senator that doesn't have something in this bill that was important to them, and if they don't have something in it important to them, then it doesn't speak well of them," Reid said Monday.Graham cited the example of $100 million in the legislation to pay the full cost of a Medicaid expansion in Nebraska — home to Democratic Sen. Be
last modification 2009-12-22 14:45:02
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