Health Care Vote Illustrates Partisan Divide

[groovedaddy]

WASHINGTON — A party-line Senate committee vote on legislation to remake the nation’s health care system underscored the absence of political consensus on what would be the biggest changes in social policy in more than 40 years.

The bill, which aims to make health insurance available to all Americans, was approved, 13 to 10, by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The panel was the first Congressional committee to approve the health legislation.

“If you don’t have health insurance, this bill is for you,” said Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, who presided over more than three weeks of grueling committee sessions. “It stops insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. It guarantees that you’ll be able to find an insurance plan that works for you, including a public health insurance option if you want it.”

The bill would also help people who have insurance, Mr. Dodd said, because “it eliminates annual and lifetime caps on coverage and ensures that your out-of-pocket costs will never exceed your ability to pay.”

But the partisan split signified potential trouble ahead. Republicans on the panel, who voted unanimously against the measure, described the idea of a new public insurance option as a deal-breaker. They said they still hoped that a consensus bill would emerge from the Senate Finance Committee.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/us/politics/16health.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

[Lasher]

1. GOP idea of a consensus:

They write the legislation and Democrats consent. Then Republicans vote against it anyway.

[Warpy]

2. Exactly, which is why the Democrats need to steamroll them

the way their rotten party steamrolled the Democrats for 12 long years.

Face it, Republicans do not play well with others, don't have the good of the country and its people in mind, and are going to be throwing tantrums for the foreseeable future.

They can be consulted on the off chance one of them might have a decent idea, but they aren't necessary to pass this and this is something which desperately needs to be passed.