U.S. Senate

Maybe healthcare reform bill isn't too long after all

Alex Koppelman — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:05:00 PST

It's almost a given at this point: Any time a Congressional Republican's commenting on the Democrats' healthcare reform bills, they'll likely bring up their length. Some will just mention the 2,074 pages in the Senate version, others will tally the amount of dollars spent per word, some will tell you it's longer than "War and Peace." It's a way to suggest that the bill is impenetrable, that Democrats are sneaking big changes into it -- and that it's bound to increase the size of the federal government, not to mention taxes.

Why reconciliation might not save the public option

Alex Koppelman and Mike Madden — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:25:00 PST

Liberals are frustrated these days, and they have reason to be. They helped Democrats win a theoretically filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and now the part of the reform bill they prize most highly faces death at the hands of members of the Democratic caucus.

Time to go courting Republicans for healthcare bill?

Alex Koppelman — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:40:00 PST

The Senate vote on Democrats' healthcare reform bill Saturday night was close -- maybe too close. Majority Leader Harry Reid won an important victory, no doubt, but he had only the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and move the legislation to the floor, no more. He may not have all 60 when the next cloture motion, the one to break a Republican filibuster and force an up-or-down vote, comes around.

Senate Democrats' healthcare bill clears first hurdle

Alex Koppelman — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:09:00 PST

It's done: Senate Democrats gathered 60 votes and got their healthcare reform bill through the first test it will face.

Reid has 60 votes -- for now, at least

Alex Koppelman — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:01:00 PST

Later Saturday night, the Senate Democrats' healthcare reform bill will pass its first test. Majority Leader Harry Reid officially has the 60 votes needed to win on a cloture motion that will open debate on the legislation. The last two members of the Democratic caucus to announce their intentions, Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, both said Saturday that they'll be voting with their party.

The Senate vs. the House on healthcare reform

Emily Holleman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:01:00 PST

Earlier this week, Senate Democrats finally unveiled their healthcare reform legislation. Despite all the squabbling that's gone on over the public option the bill does, like its House counterpart, contain a plan for a government-run insurance provider. However, there are a number of important differences between the two proposals. Assuming Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid musters together the 60 votes necessary to get his version through the Senate, there are going to be a number of points that negotiators will need to work out in committee. Here are some of the most important differences between the bills.

A wobbly Democrat's moment of truth

Joe Conason — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:20:00 PST

On the very same day that Blanche Lambert Lincoln will finally vote on whether to allow healthcare reform to reach the Senate floor, thousands of the dithering Arkansas Democrat's uninsured constituents will be lining up to see doctors at a free medical clinic in Little Rock. Anticipating this remarkable coincidence, Lincoln may even realize that conservative ideologues and insurance lobbyists are not the only voices that should command her attention during this debate.

Intra-party feuds fuel Senate primary campaigns

Gabriel Winant — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:50:00 PST

Generally speaking, primaries are where ideological fights play out. And it looks like we may have some interesting battles to watch next year in a few key Senate races. Both parties are now split by fights over whether it's better to support compromises to achieve shared goals or go down fighting. These divisions, in turn, are fueling some pretty heated show-downs.

Senate to hold healthcare vote Saturday

Alex Koppelman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:29:00 PST

The first of a series of important votes on Senate Democrats' healthcare reform bill is slated to take place on Saturday, Majority Leader Harry Reid announced at a press conference on Thursday.

The public option ain't what it used to be

Robert Reich — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:20:00 PST

First there was Medicare for all 300 million of us. But that was a nonstarter because private insurers and Big Pharma wouldn't hear of it, and Republicans and "centrists" thought it was too much like what they have up in Canada -- which, by the way, cost Canadians only 10 percent of their GDP and covers every Canadian. (Our current system of private for-profit insurers costs 16 percent of GDP and leaves out 45 million people.)

Dems beat filibuster of Obama judicial nominee

Alex Koppelman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:08:00 PST

When President Obama picked Judge David Hamilton as his first judicial nominee, it was because Hamilton was seen as a moderate, someone who wouldn't face much opposition and would be easy to confirm. Eight months later, Hamilton has only now cleared the last procedural roadbloack on his way to being confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Reid wants healthcare debate before Thanksgiving

Alex Koppelman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:40:00 PST

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's blown a few deadlines on healthcare reform already, but now he's trying to move forward quickly -- he wants to begin debate on his bill before the Senate recesses for Thanksgiving. It's an ambitious timetable to set, considering all the things that will need to happen first.

An open letter to Harry Reid on healthcare costs

Robert Reich — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:14:00 PST

Dear Senator,

Reid puts healthcare bill on Senate schedule

Alex Koppelman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:30:00 PST

If all goes according to current plan, the Senate could be talking about the healthcare reform bill recently passed by the House as early as next week. And, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the whole process could still be done, with legislation signed by President Obama, before the end of the year.

Bill Clinton tells Senate Dems to get to work

Mike Madden — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:11:00 PST

Bill Clinton had a pretty simple message for Senate Democrats on Tuesday: don't screw this healthcare stuff up.

Reid guilts Senate GOP into confirming surgeon general

Alex Koppelman — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:10:00 PDT

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gets a lot of guff, especially from liberals who believe he's too timid in the face of Republican opposition. But give him some credit for what he did on Thursday.

Lieberman will join filibuster of public option

Alex Koppelman — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:10:00 PDT

Progressives didn't even get 24 hours to celebrate the victory they won in getting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to include a version of the public option in his healthcare reform bill. The celebration was cut off Tuesday afternoon with the news that Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., will vote with Senate Republicans to filibuster the legislation.

Senate healthcare bill includes public option

Mike Madden — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:27:00 PDT

The Senate healthcare reform bill will include a public health insurance plan that states can opt out of, Democratic leader Harry Reid announced Monday -- dealing a blow to insurance industry lobbyists who had hoped to kill the public option altogether.

Healthcare reform takes one step forward, two steps back

Alex Koppelman — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:50:00 PDT

For a little while, it seemed like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was in an enviable situation. Doctors want to avoid seeing a cut in the rates that Medicare pays them, and he wants doctors to get on board with Democratic proposals for healthcare reform. So he struck a deal: A 10-year freeze on the Medicare payments cut, which was mandated in a 1997 law, in exchange for support from doctors' groups. The optics were pretty bad -- the word "bribe" was getting tossed around quite a bit, and wasn't wholly without merit -- but everyone would come away happy.

The waiting is the hardest part

Mike Madden — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:05:00 PDT

Negotiations on healthcare reform legislation have reached a stage that's disconcertingly common on Capitol Hill -- one with few visible signs of actual progress, plenty of reassurances from the people involved that everything is going just fine, and a lot of waiting around for everyone else.