BREAKING: Senate will have to return health bill to House

[FrenchieCat]

Senate will have to return health bill to House
WASHINGTON (AP) - A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the bill making changes in President Barack Obama's newly enacted health care overhaul will have to go back to the House for final congressional approval, something top Democrats were trying to avoid. Spokesman Jim Manley said Republicans consulting with the Senate parliamentarian had found "two minor provisions" that violate budget rules. The two provisions, dealing with Pell grants for low-income college students, will have to be removed from the bill.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/HOME



media whores and the HELL NO PARTY will be revelling in this false victory
till this shit gets passed!

But I'm thinking that the Dems in the house who were shaky the last time,
will have more resolve this time....cause of what's been happening over the
last few days. It may even entice some who had voted against it the first
time, to rethink their strategy, considering the direction of the polls
in the last few days. If so, that would only help the Democratic Party
be even more united this time round.

I think we will be fine as long as the reactionaries don't start shitting bricks,
and the chicken littles and Eeyores keep their panties on,
and don't start fretting like there's no tomorrow, once again.

If we keep our Cool like this President does, it won't be a big thing.

So to some extent, it's up to how the blogs will react to this.
We can start criticizing the Dems, or we can support them to see this through.

Our choice.

but still....Start Manning your Phones and faxes!!

and for fuck's sake....

[jillan]

1. WHO put those provisions in there????? That's what I want to know.

[Oregone]

4. The Democrats probably

Funny thing about it, the loaning/college aid reform was the most liberal part of the health care bill. Im not sure why it couldn't have stood on its own merits though

[SwampG8r]

7. ithink it was included because

they fed is taking issuing the loans away from the banks and are planning to do it directly
the banks were going to raise a stink over the more than 7billion(the number i heard but have not personally confirmed)removal of business and this was an end around
doesnt have much to do with health care
will make ducking a student loan impossible though

[Oregone]

8. Seems like it would of been a healthy, positive debate to have

And they could of touted the benefits of socializing that segment of loaning.

I guess its great they snuck it through, but everyone hates the banks and its a bit of a blown opportunity.

On the otherhand, left to their own devices and enough time on this single issue, this Congress could of fucked it up real bad.

[FrenchieCat]

11. Dumping on the Dems

isn't required, now is it?

You've done enough of that to last a lifetime! Geeze!

[Oregone]

44. I'm just discussing an issue reasonably

Dumping on me me isn't always necessary either, you know

[Jennicut]

41. I believe it was "snuck" in because some in the Senate balked about it.

Reconciliation needs only 50 votes. Baucus has a big student loan lender in his state. It might not have passed if it needed 60 votes so they were trying it this way. What good would an "honest" debate have done if it was going to be blocked by a filibuster and some Dems would have voted against it? This way, Baucus and a few others were forced to vote on it. At least they tried. I would like to find out what provisions need to be cut or changed with the Pell grants.

[karynnj]

35. All correct, plus adding it adds to the deficit reduction because

this is cheaper for the government, which already assumed all the risk.

[FrenchieCat]

5. Was done during the mark up.....

it will be fine! The GOP as one less member now, as he retired 15 minutes after taking
the last vote on this.

[falcon97]

2. The story went on to say

that Manley expected the House to pass the bill again with no problems.

But still, damn.

[Cosmocat]

38. It is a complete NON issue ...

these are the changes the HOUSE wanted ...

What, they are not going to vote for 99 percent of what THEY WANT changed?

[BlooInBloo]

3. Ruh roh. Hope they truly are minor, and easily resolved.

[grantcart]

6. In that case they should start passing some of the 'poison' ammendments

that the Republicans were trying to get the Democrats to vote for, cutting bank interest rates on student loans for example.

[Raine1967]

40. and maybe the Viagra amendment?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/23/dems-to-oppose-the-most-a_n_510675.html

:P

[BlooInBloo]

9. Some more....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/25/byrd-rule-sends-health-care-back-to-house_n_512609.html

"Senate Republicans succeeded early Thursday morning in finding two flaws in the House-passed Health Care reconciliation package. Neither is of any substance, but the Senate parliamentarian informed Democratic leaders that both are in violation of the Byrd Rule.

One is related to Pell Grants and the other makes small technical corrections. Why they're in violation of the Byrd Rule doesn't matter; the upshot is that Republicans will succeed in at least slightly altering the legislation, which means that the House is once again required to vote on it. With no substantial changes, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) should have little problem assembling the same coalition of 220 Democrats who passed the measure Sunday night. "

[FrenchieCat]

10. Yep. I agree with that.

It's just that us Dems have to chillax and not get our panties tied in a knot.

You know how we can be.

[BlooInBloo]

12. But dammit! This was all supposed to be over by the time my basketball games started tomorrow!

hrmph.

[FrenchieCat]

13. If DUers aren't stupid enough to have 20 threads on this by tomorrow

hollering and whining and blaming and exaggerating,
it may go smoothly.

If we cry a lot and make losta noise,
the mediawhores, their GOP Hell NO party,
their moles and the trolls will have a field day.

[BlooInBloo]

14. Good to see we both know what is certain to happen...

It's all good though, because the republicans will act just as predictably, and the final result is thoroughly predictable. So the multi-whammy loss for them will be epic.

Still pissed that this is gonna interfere with my march madness tho. :P

[elocs]

15. That's a bit "if". I'd put money on it happening though.

There will be 20 threads about it by this afternoon.

[FrenchieCat]

16. Then use this!

[BlooInBloo]

17. More from The Hill....

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/89001-senate-pushes-past-gop-amendments-into-the-wee-hours

"Senate Democrats defeated 29 straight Republican amendments to the Democratic healthcare reconciliation bill before losing a key parliamentary ruling in Thursday’s early hours that will force the legislation back to the House of Representatives.

Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin sustained two GOP objections to two minor sections of a Pell Grant provision in the student loan part of the bill intended to change the original healthcare reform bill passed by both chambers.

The Senate held 10 hours of continuous, marathon voting starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday, with Republicans trying throughout to lodge a successful objection to the bill to force its return to the lower chamber. The bill’s passage by the House is a safe bet, prompting Senate GOP Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.) to call Frumin’s ruling “a consolation prize.”

Democrats said Frumin’s ruling was expected and that any verdict of a Republican victory was an exaggeration."

[FrenchieCat]

18. AGAIN!......

[Drunken Irishman]

19. I kinda figured they had planned for this.

The worry wasn't that it'd be sent back to the House for a vote. The worry was always that there wasn't enough votes in the Senate.

Well there is.

[karynnj]

37. Looking at Kyl's statement, this might in a very odd way be positive

This could be the face saving - see we won something - that the truly defeated Republicans seem to need to end their collective temper tantrum. (The RW, of course, will continue their perpetual temper tantrum) The Democratic comment actually makes no sense. If they knew it would happen, it would have been stripped out. They wanted it to pass smoothly. (Funny thing is that it will make the already anti-climatic Senate vote even more anti-climactic with the House having the final step.)

[DCBob]

20. So has the Senate approved the bill with the changes?

or does it need to be approved in the House first then back to the Senate?

[FrenchieCat]

23. NO. The Senate votes on it....then the house gets it,

then it's over.

[DCBob]

24. Yes, I found that in the WP article as well..

I think thats good news once the Senate gets it passed today.. That will be a big hurdle.

[FrenchieCat]

26. I'm thinking that it will work out.....

And Barack will be in Iowa, so he'll be able to
use his bully pulpit on just the right day
to explain it and inspire us to keep our cool!

[denimgirly]

21. ON THE PLUS SIDE: It frees the Senate to Vote on the Public Option/Medicare expansion ...

Was reading something about this on HP....not sure ho wit would work but i gather they would do some kind of hand count to see if they have the votes for ti and when the recon. bill goes back to the house Nancy can pass the recon. bill and attach the PO to it and then when it gets back to the Senate they can vote it as a whole?

[DCBob]

22. Found the answer in the WP.... they expect to vote on the amended bill this afternoon..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/25/AR2010032500006.html

"Senate leaders expect to push the amended bill to passage Thursday afternoon, with final passage to follow in the House before the weekend."

edit: sorry denimgirly... I meant to post this as an answer to a different post.. :)

[DCBob]

25. Does this mean amendment vote-a-rama is done?

Or do the Republicans still have the opportunity to keep the endless amendment nonsense going once this amended bill goes up for vote?

[FrenchieCat]

27. I don't really know, personally.....although they appeared to be confident

that it will come out of there quite soon.

We shall see.

[DCBob]

28. Yeah, sounds that way to me also.

Maybe there was a deal between between Harry and McConnel.

[FrenchieCat]

29. I just think at this point, the Party of Hell No realize that the bad press

they have been getting doesn't help them look any better with them using
stalling tactics since they know we know that it ain't gonna work at the end anyways.

The media didn't even really cover the Senate much today....
they were too busy dealing with the GOP's racist ass tools.
So although the GOP Senators were talking a lot of shit,
no one was really truly listening except for the diehards.

[DCBob]

30. Lets just hope the Stupakers and others in the House are not having second thoughts..

Considering the intense pressure and threats many have been getting from the lunatic right.

[FrenchieCat]

31. That's exactly why they won't change their mind......

would make them look like little girls who got bullied.
Stupak may be a lot of things, but he actually ain't that stupid.
They've seen the polls rise. They experienced the attacks...
if anything, they get to become martyrs,
if the dumbass teabaggers keep it up!

[DCBob]

32. Yes, I agree, in fact I think some might change their no to yes..

in response to this madness. Wouldn't that send a great message!

[FrenchieCat]

36. It would....and it would be them saving their asses.

They saw those polls, cause those who voted NO are poll watchers to begin with.

[Jennicut]

42. ....

wrong place, sorry!

[OneGrassRoot]

45. +1000 :) n/t

[mucifer]

33. Stupak is an ex- policeman so I think he can take the pressure

[DCBob]

34. Yep. thats right.

Maybe even get a few no's to switch to yes in support of those threatened!

[Jennicut]

43. He said yesterday he refuses to feel intimidated and that as a former cop, he is used to

"looking down the barrel of a gun". Not my favorite Dem in the world, but I do think he is tough enough to handle this.

[Clio the Leo]

39. So everyone is clear, it's the reconciliation bill going back, NOT THE health care bill....

.... the health care bill is the law of the land .... for f***'s sake. (I know 'cause my f'ing uncle Joe told me so.)

I know YOU know this Frenchie, just wanted to make sure no one was confused. ;)

[goclark]

46. Love it~

:bounce:


Keep it coming Democrats Yes. We. Can.