http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/03/24/senate-begins-voting-on-final-health-care-bill/In a Setback for Democrats, Health Care Going Back to the House for Another Vote -- Politics Daily
Patricia Murphy
Columnist
In a Setback for Democrats, Health Care Going Back to the House for Another VotePosted:
03/24/10
snip:
Democratic senators received word just before 3 a.m. Thursday morning that the reconciliation portion of the health care reform bill will have to go back to the House of Representatives for a second vote once it passes the Senate this week. The Senate parliamentarian, Alan Frumin, ruled in favor of Republicans on two objections to portions of the student loan reform section of the bill, a decision that changes the text of the reconciliation bill and thus requires the House to vote again. The House and Senate must pass identical bills when using the reconciliation process.
The ruling followed a 10-hour marathon voting session that began in the Senate at 5 Wednesday afternoon and dragged on until 3 Thursday morning, during which senators voted on 29 separate Republican amendments to the bill, all of which were defeated. Democrats agreed to break from voting and reconvene at 9:45 a.m. Thursday to consider more Republican amendments.
The delays were seen as a victory for Republicans, who have made no secret of their desire to derail the bill.
Among the Republican amendments defeated Wednesday were a measure from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)
to prevent convicted child molesters and rapists from getting reimbursed by the government for drugs to treat erectile dysfunction; an amendment from Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.) to require all members of Congress to enroll in Medicaid; a measure from Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to certify that no households earning less than $250,000 will see increased taxes as a result of health care reform; and an amendment by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) to certify that Americans will not have to change their health insurance as a result of the bill if they do not want to.