U.S. Senate health bill better than nothing: Hoyer

[brooklynite]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House of Representatives Democratic leader Steny Hoyer said on Tuesday the U.S. Senate's version of healthcare reform was "clearly" better than nothing and the overhaul could pass the U.S. Congress within 15 days.

Hoyer refused to speculate on the fate of healthcare reform if Democrats lose a special U.S. Senate election that could cost them their crucial 60th vote. He said negotiators were still working to merge the two bills.

Sending the Senate bill to the House for approval without changes would be an option for healthcare advocates if Democrat Martha Coakley loses Tuesday's election in Massachusetts.

"We are moving forward, we are not done," Hoyer told reporters when asked about the healthcare bill.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60E2SO20100119

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Sanity prevails

[derby378]

1. Spoken like a guy who has thrown in the towel

What, the House is now expected to do the bidding of the Senate?

Let's try that in the UK and see how long the Lords bully the Commons...

[enlightenment]

7. They already tried that in Britain -

look at the Lords now . . . largely irrelevant.

[groundloop]

21. Ya' know, I'm absolutely sick about how this has come down, however would it have been any different

... if the Democrats only had 58 or 59 votes in the Senate all along. Face it, the vote in Minnesota was so close it was a small miracle that Al Franken got elected. And who would have predicted that Arlen Specter was going to change parties.

Not at all happy right now .... just thinkin' out loud.

[ixion]

2. "we are moving forward" with making insurance agencies quasi federal entities

joy. :puke:

[AndyA]

3. Reminds me of that SNL "Lowered Expectations" skit

Better than nothing. That's what we've got for representation in Washington. And that's a sad state of affairs. :(

[derby378]

10. That was from MAD TV, not SNL

But yeah, I understand completely. :hi:

[DJ13]

4. "We worked night and day for 6 months to write the best .......

....better than nothing piece of legislation we could."

lol

[jaxx]

5. Quitting isn't an option.

Getting this passed is important to millions of people.

[Donnachaidh]

6. spoken like someone who plans on tossing coins at the masses

as he drives by in his limo. :grr:

[pattmarty]

8. Sorry Congressman, no it ain't!!!

[TheIdiot]

9. Will he ever smell the coffee...?

not until we're toast.

[YOY]

11. Well that's certainly an opinion.

Not one I agree with but certainly an opinion.

[pattmarty]

12. This will be the Dems 2010 campaign theme; "re-elect (add name here)........

.........because I'm better than nothing". This is just so fucking disgusting. People all over the world are laughing at us (more than before).

[bikesein]

19. Sad but True

NT

[timeforpeace]

13. Hoyer: "Well, the music stopped, and this was the only chair left."

[Demeter]

14. Not So, Steny

This bill puts unimaginable obstacles in place to prevent any rational health care plan ever being implemented. It cements the current informal, arbitrary patchwork arrangement with the glue of federal law. And this is exactly what we don't need or want.

People need to be equal before the law in a democracy. This law makes permanent inequalities. That's known as feudalism, or master and slavery, or other unAmerican arrangements.

[grytpype]

15. The crying and screaming here will be unbearable when they pass the Senate bill.

[Demeter]

16. Which will be nothing, compared to the outcry outside DU.

[Politicub]

17. I'll pop in should it pass, and will join the many DUers who will be celebrating

At last, we'll be starting the long and unlikely process of reform.

[pattmarty]

20. And, made much longer and more difficult by this shit bill...........

..........If you think the insurance companies are powerful now, boy wait until this passes.

[Metta]

18. There's a stunning endorsement. Happy karma, Steny.

The bill's a piece of shit and a gift to the death industry. That's what you get when you back blue dogs over progressives.

[totodeinhere]

22. "Better than nothing?" Is that all he's got?

Almost anything is better than nothing. I expect more than that from the Dem leadership.

[DesertDiamond]

23. Bullshit

[fitonkpo]

24. Only good that could come of MA loss would be defeat of HCR.

Face it folks, the current HCR reform bill is just government mandate that we buy the insurance industries shitty products. When the government compels the people to service the corporations...what is this called?....FACISM?!!!

I need Pearl to crank up the organ now.