Kerry on the re-nomination of Don Berwick's renomination

[karynnj]

to be permanent Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), today released the following statement after President Obama renominated Don Berwick to be permanent Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Dr. Berwick has been CMS Administrator since July 2010.

“Last July, President Obama had no recourse but to recess appoint Don Berwick after Republicans spent 79 days politicizing his nomination in one awful example of how not to govern. In his six months on the job, Don’s actions underscore why he was so qualified in the first place and why we couldn’t afford for this position to sit vacant.

“Don set up the new CMS Innovation Center to produce better health outcomes, all at lower costs, and it is because of Don’s attention that Massachusetts’ safety net hospitals stayed afloat in a moment of crisis. That’s not hyperbole. Governor Patrick and I can attest that it is only because of the countless hours and emergency assistance Don provided that seven safety net hospitals in Massachusetts are receiving over $400 million to keep delivering quality, affordable care.

“We know that these are serious times of enormous challenge, and the country is counting on adult leadership from the Senate. I sincerely hope that, instead of cranking up the attack machine, this time around all of our colleagues will take a deep breath and give Don Berwick’s nomination the serious consideration it deserves. He’s a superbly qualified public servant, and he’s proven that and much more in the last months in office.”

http://www.thestatecolumn.com/state_politics/massachusetts/sen-john-kerry-urges-fair-consideration-of-don-berwick%E2%80%99s-renomination/

This might be a test of the Republican's new "commitment" to civility on nominations - that Reid and McConnell agreed to.

Background:
Here is an article from when he was given the recess appointment. Though Kerry refers to Republican politics, at that point, Baucus had yet to even schedule a confirmation hearing. http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2010/07/key_senate_fina.html

Here is a RW site's article on this and other nominations. http://hotair.com/archives/2011/01/27/recess-appointments-berwick-becker-renominated-in-new-session/

Here is the Boston Globe article on the extra funding that Kerry refers to - http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2011/01/mass_slated_to.html?comments=all (This was about the same time that the BH tried to make it a scandal that Kerry may have vacationed with his wife during the break in the Caribbean. )


Related to this is yesterday's action on changing the filibuster. Here is a Greg Sargent article that explained the bills that were to be voted on - http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2011/01/scaled_down_filibuster_reform.html He was correct on what passed and what didn't pass. in addition, in Thomas, the two votes that eliminated secret holds and reading the bill if demanded needed 3/5ths and the Harkin, Udall and Merkley bills - which all failed - all needed 2/3rds.

Here are the 4 roll calls:

Eliminating secret holds - http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00003 (Only Rand, Lee, DeMint, and Ensign against it)

Eliminating need to read the bill out loud - http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00003

15 nos (so we know the people who can't read silently by themselves - or who think other Senators can't.)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Hatch (R-UT)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
Paul (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sessions (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Toomey (R-PA)
Vitter (R-LA)

Harkin's bill that would have gradually lowered the number needed for cloture. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00004

Only 12 in favor:
Begich (D-AK)
Blumenthal (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Harkin (D-IA)
Kerry (D-MA) - this actually surprised me - I knew he pretty much said he agreed with Udall and Merkely
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Udall (D-NM)

Then there were the Udall ( http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00005 ) and Merkely ( http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00006 ) bills that got 44 and 46 votes respectively. (Kerry did not vote on either of these - I wonder what pulled him away - even though the votes were nowhere near close. The WH or State dealing with chaos in the Middle East? The first of those was 18 minutes after the Harkin vote.)

[Mass]

1. I am happy Kerry voted for the Harkin bill.

I was hoping he would. It could have been a good compromise given there was no chance the Udall bill would pass.

[karynnj]

2. I was happy, but surprised.

I didn't see it as a compromise vs the Udall bill - as it was in some ways a bigger change.

[wisteria]

3. My PA respresentitive is on the first list. But, somehow, I am not surprised by this Toomey vote.

If it were up to Toomey, we wouldn't have any government inititated health care-you would be on your own. I loath this guy.

And, I hope we see Mr. Berwick getting approval. I think, as Sen. Kerry has said, he is much needed and doing a great job.