Senate Whip Count Update On Public Option Support: 44 YES 14 MAYBE 50 Votes Are Needed To Pass

[Better Believe It]

Senate Whip Count Update: No Democrats Oppose Public Option
by: Chris Bowers
August 28, 2009

Potential Supporters

Yes: 44
Won't Vote Against: 1
Maybe: 14
No: 2
Vacancies: 1

STATE/SENATOR Public Option? Available Day One? Nationally Available? Can Bargain for Rates?
AK - Begich (D) Maybe (via email) Maybe (via email) Maybe (via email) Maybe (via email)
AR - Lincoln (D) Maybe Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
AR - Pryor (D) Maybe Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
CA - Boxer (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
CA - Feinstein (D) Yes Maybe Dodges (via email)
CO - Bennet (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Maybe Dodges (via email)
CO - Udall (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Maybe Dodges (via email)
CT- Dodd (D) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill)
CT - Lieberman (I) No Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
DE - Carper (D) Maybe
DE - Kaufman (D) Yes
FL - Bill Nelson (D) Maybe (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
HI - Akaka (D) Yes
HI - Inouye (D) Yes
IA - Harkin (D) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill)
IL - Burris (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
IL - Durbin (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
IN - Bayh (D) Maybe Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
LA - Landrieu (D) Maybe No
MA - Kerry (D) Yes
MA - Kennedy (D) Vacant--win one for Ted
MD - Cardin (D) Yes
MD - Mikulski (D) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill)
ME - Collins (R) No Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
ME - Snowe (R) Maybe
MI - Levin (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
MI - Stabenow (D) Yes
MN - Franken (D) Yes
MN - Klobuchar (D) Yes
MO - McCaskill (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
MT - Baucus (D) Maybe
MT - Tester (D) Maybe Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
NC - Hagan (D) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill)
ND - Conrad (D) Maybe Yes No Yes
ND - Dorgan (D) Yes Maybe Yes
NE - Ben Nelson (D) Maybe
NH - Shaheen (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
NJ - Lautenberg (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
NJ - Menendez (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
NM - Bingaman (D) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill)
NM - Udall (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
NV - Reid (D) Yes
NY - Gillibrand (D) Yes
NY - Schumer (D) Yes
OH - Brown (D) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill)
OR - Merkley (D) Yes (via email) Yes (via email) Yes (via email)
OR - Wyden (D) Maybe Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
PA - Casey (D) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill)
PA - Specter (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
RI - Reed (D) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill)
RI - Whitehouse (D) Yes
SD - Johnson (D) Yes Unknown Yes
VA - Warner (D) Won't vote against Dodges (via email) No Dodges (via email)
VA - Webb (D) Yes
VT - Leahy (D) Yes
VT - Sanders (I) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill)
WA - Cantwell (D) Yes
WA - Murray (D) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill) Yes (supporting HELP bill))
WI - Feingold (D) Yes
WI - Kohl (D) Yes Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email) Dodges (via email)
WV - Byrd (D) Maybe (via talk with staff)
WV - Rockefeller (D) Yes

http://www.openleft.com/diary/14836/senate-whip-count-update-no-democrats-oppose-public-option

50 Senate votes (Biden casting tie breaker) are need to pass a bill containing a public option. If the Republicans threaten a filibuster (they haven't done so yet) against a healthcare bill let them. All filibusters end. Make the few filibustering Republicans actually filibuster on the Senate floor. The Democrats can do that under Senate rules.

[Barack_America]

1. Whip them again.

[tridim]

5. Yep, crack that whip

[Divine Discontent]

2. thx

[bluestateguy]

3. I don't see how this gets done without reconciliation

and then of course there would be Bobby Byrd's predictable harangues about the Traditions of the Senate, which he seems to think is more important than doing what is right for the country.

[librechik]

6. this is the reconciliation option

but Senate rules may prevent PO as a votable issue this way--the bill has to be budget related for example, and there are other problems which make it the last thing they want.

We might as well try for the 60. They have about an equal chance, really. (i.e., not much, sadly)

[Better Believe It]

12. It's very simple. You just introduce the legislation, have a short debate and take a vote!

Now, if any obstructionist Republicans insist on taking the floor for a day or two in a filibuster to delay a bill that most people support, what is the problem with that?

I hope they do fricken filibuster! Isolate them even more.

So let them argue against health care, on the Senate floor, with no call-in filibuster, until 60 Senators agree to end the debate (cloture). Than vote on the bill!

[DevonRex]

4. Excellent information. nt

[yurbud]

7. What's Dodges?

[Lilith Velkor]

11. I think it means the senator dodged the question.

[yurbud]

8. can you bold-face NOs, MAYBEs, and "WON'T VOTE AGAINST" so we can contact them?

[Better Believe It]

13. I don't know how to do that but if someone can highlight and post it that would be great!

[WI_DEM]

9. Once MA names Kennedy's successor it will be up to 45

[yurbud]

10. reading tea leaves here, but I wonder if the "maybes" aren't really a way to sucker punch GOP

For all the graft and timidity of too many Dems, they know they have to win this or risk losing the majority in the next election. If they get this right, they will set a New Deal direction that even the GOP will have to support (like Ike and too a lesser extent, Nixon, did).

[damntexdem]

14. So, bring it to a vote, and dare Dems to vote against.

It just might hit 50.

[Better Believe It]

15. I think with a strong public option it will do better than that.

[TheKentuckian]

16. The no's and maybe's are watering it down

A Stronger option isn't what the knuckleheads want. So, they need to have the whip cracked and we need that MA vote bad.

[AlinPA]

17. All that matters is yes on cloture. nt

[pampango]

18. Heard a likely scenario: House approves HCR with public option, Senate without PO,

then in conference Obama gets the House's PO retained then dares (subtly, not publicly) the Senate to vote down the conference report and sink health care reform. Democratic senators would, hopefully, be reluctant to sink vote down the final health care bill and risk a 1994 repeat, and the Blue Dogs would be able to tell their constituents that "they voted against the PO before the voted for it". ;)

[Aramchek]

19. Begich supports the Public Option

saw a quote from him a little while back...

[dionysus]

20. that's why i don't understand how the single payer advocates think they have any kind of shot.

you see how tough it is to just get the needed Dem votes for a public option, how do you expect to get the votes for single payer? you can't....

[obama196186]

21. they care about their jobs

instead of ppl

[dionysus]

22. unfortunately you may be right. dissappointing. however, we'll see what the final bill looks like.