http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91QI3FO0&show_article=1 Ailing Kennedy returns to the Senate for vote
WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, battling a brain tumor, walked through a wall of applause into the Senate on Wednesday and cast a stunningly unexpected vote on long-stalled Medicare legislation.
"Aye," the 76-year-old Kennedy said in a loud voice, and he made a thumbs-up gesture as he registered his vote.
Spectators in the galleries that overhang the chamber burst into cheers—a violation of decorum that drew no complaints.
Kennedy made his way into the Senate on his own power, appearing little the worse for his illness. A patch of scalp was clearly visible amid his familiar white hair, although it was not clear whether that was a result of surgery he underwent or the effects of chemotherapy that is part of his treatment.
He walked into chamber accompanied by Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, his party's presidential nominee-in-waiting, as well as fellow Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and his own son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island.
Democratic senators, who had been tipped to his presence, burst into applause when he entered. Some Republicans looked around quizzically, then joined in the applause when they saw Kennedy.
"I return to the Senate today to keep a promise to our senior citizens and that's to protect Medicare," Kennedy's office said in a statement it released as the vote was unfolding.
The background is, that this bill missed getting passed by ONE VOTE:
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20080708_Senate_drops_the_ball.htmlThe Bush administration put the insurance industry before seniors, by increased payments in billions of dollars to the insurance industry, while putting into place a series of cuts to doctors and hospitals. These cuts come at a time of increasing costs to our nation's health care providers, and jeopardize access to lifesaving health services.
On July 1 the latest cut in physicians' fees, a cut of 10.6 percent, went into effect.
(SNIP)
On June 24, the U.S. House passed legislation to prevent the impending physician fee cut. Against the wishes of the Bush administration and the Republican leadership in Congress, this bill received an overwhelming vote of 355-59 in the House, including the support of 17 of the 19-member Pennsylvania House delegation.
This bill, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, protects seniors' access to their doctors, improves access to other vital health services, and increases the use of health information technologies to reduce errors and save lives.
The next step for this bill was Senate passage; on June 26 it went to the Senate floor for a vote.
Despite a groundswell of public support and the tight timeline, Senate Republicans blocked this bill. The bill fell just one vote short of passage, with Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey voting for the bill, and Sen. Arlen Specter voting against it.
The Senate's failure to pass this bill before the July 1 deadline is both an outrage and an incredible disappointment. Senate Republicans choose to play partisan politics, jeopardizing the health care of more than 44 million American seniors.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has pledged to bring this legislation back as soon as possible for a vote.
This is an incredible story. Ted Strong!
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