THE TREATMENT MARCH 25, 2010
-
Read Later
READ LATERAvailable only to subscribers. SUBSCRIBE TODAY
-
Listen
ARTICLE AUDIO
- Font Size
The Senate on Thursday afternoon passed amendments to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. They used the budget reconciliation process, in which Republicans couldn't filibuster. The final tally was 56 to 43, with three Democrats (Lincoln, Nelson, and Prior) voting against one Republican (Isakson) absent due to illness.
Republicans were successful at challenging, and striking, two provisions because of parliamentary rules. As such, the bill must go back to the House for final approval there. But neither change affected health care reform. And only one was meaningful--a provision about adjusting Pell Grant levels that Democrats said they would introduce separately.
The House should be able to approve the reconciliation bill with ease, as early as Friday.
Amazing what the Democrats can do when they put their minds to it, isn't it?
2 comments
You may want to point out that Ben Nelson only voted against this bill because of his opposition to the student loan provisions, not the health care provisions. So that leaves only the two ladies from Arkansas as truly opposing the bill they voted for the first time. Luckily only one of them is running to lose re-election this year.
- wildboy
March 25, 2010 at 5:24pm
I predicted when the bill passed the Republicans would crumble and I am so happy to be right for once. So much for the predictions by Hatch and others that this wasn't over, that they would drag it out for months. Freakin Repub. wimps.
- blackton
March 25, 2010 at 5:56pm