>From SLATE: The Senate worked late into the night on Wednesday, with Republicans finding two flaws in the health care bill that was passed by the House on Sunday night. These flaws, which aren't substantial—one related to Pell Grants, another making small technical changes—are still enough to send the bill back to the House for a second vote. As the Huffington Post noted, "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) should have little problem assembling the same coalition of 220 Democrats who passed the measure Sunday night. That's already four more than the minimum 216 required for passage." It seems, though, that the Republicans have overlooked something: By forcing the bill back to the House, the Republicans are giving Democrats the opportunity to unite and put the public option back into the health care reform. And now, instead of a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority, they'll need only 50. "Democratic leadership no longer has to worry that additional amendments would send [the bill] back to the House, since it must return to the lower chamber regardless," the Huffington Post reported. "The Senate is now free to put to the test the much-debated question of whether 50 votes exist for a public option." Senate Democrats could also unite to expand Medicare or Medicaid. The Senate will return to work on the bill Thursday morning. If Democrats put the public option into the bill, the only question is whether Pelosi has the votes in the House to pass it. When the Huffington Post interviewed House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., he said that it wouldn't be a problem, maintaining that the problem for the public option has always been in the Senate, not the House.
> Read original story in The Huffington Post > [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/25/byrd-rule-sends-health-care-back-to-house_n_512609.html] > | Thursday, March 25, 2010 < -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
