Senate to Vote on Health Repeal
Politico reports:
Senate Republicans promise that the first vote to repeal the health care reform law, which is likely to happen Wednesday but is expected to fail, won’t be the last strike at President Barack Obama’s signature legislation.
Senate Democrats are confident they can defeat the Republican amendment to repeal the law in a procedural vote with few, if any, defections.
The vote represents the first chance to force moderate Democrats to make a tough vote to stand by the health care reform law, which has not become more popular since it passed in March. Through this vote and others, Republicans are hoping to build public momentum for repealing the law.
Democrats said they welcome the opportunity to defend the legislation and defeat the attempt to repeal it.
“We know what this health care bill does to families. It helps them,” Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said. “But it appears what the Republicans are doing is focusing again in some way to help the insurance industry — as if they need help.”
Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) stopped short of guaranteeing that he would deliver all the members in his party but said he felt “very good” his 53-vote caucus would stick together to defeat repeal.
“These Republicans are duty-bound to offer this repeal amendment,” Durbin told reporters. “They did it in the House; they’re going to do it in the Senate; and we’ll just deal with it.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) introduced the repeal amendment on Tuesday, arguing that it was an opportunity for Democrats to take a fresh look at the legislation, just a day after a federal judge in Florida struck down the legislation as unconstitutional.
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