Senate Republicans Stick Together Against the Senate Health Bill

Republicans have already made clear they are not supporting the bill after the Senate’s historic 60-39 vote Saturday night to begin debate on the issue.

No Republican voted to begin debate on the bill, which they said would cripple industry and drive up costs for the average American.

Senate Liberal Democrats warned their party leaders not to bend and move on with the bill.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat and three other “moderates” — Democratic Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Connecticut independent Joe Lieberman — agreed to open debate despite expressing reservations on the measure.

Each of them has warned that they “might” not support the final bill.

One major sticking point is a provision that would allow Americans to buy a federal-run insurance plan if their state allows it. Moderates say they worry the so-called public option will become a huge and costly entitlement program and that other requirements in the bill could cripple businesses.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said he didn’t think rank-and-file Democrats would feel compelled to go that far. At the same time, Brown warned Democratic leaders not to make too many concessions.

“I don’t want four Democratic senators dictating to the other 56 of us and to the rest of the country — when the public option has this much support — that (a public option is) not going to be in it,” said Brown.

The Senate bill would require most Americans to carry insurance and provide subsidies to those who couldn’t afford it. Large companies could incur costs if they did not provide coverage to their work force.

The insurance industry would come under significant new regulation under the bill, which would first ease and then ban the practice of denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

Congressional budget analysts put the legislation’s cost at $979 billion over a decade and say it would reduce deficits over the same period while extending coverage to 94 percent of the eligible population.

With one-third of Senate seats up for election in 2010, politics will factor heavily into the outcome of the debate on health care.

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell said the lingering reservations by moderate Democrats indicate that the party’s leaders have gone too far.

“I believe there are a number of Democratic senators who do care what the American people think and are not interested in this sort of arrogant approach that everybody sort of shut up and sit down, get out of

the way, we know what’s best for you,” said McConnell.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said on a Sunday morning show that any Republican health care bill won’t be as long or as comprehensive as what the Democrats are attempting.

“If you expect Mitch McConnell to roll in a wheelbarrow with a Republican 2,000-page bill, it’s not going to happen,” said Alexander.

“But we do have proposals to let small businesses to pool their resources, to reduce junk lawsuits, to let people buy insurance across state lines. And I think most people would be much more comfortable with us biting off what we could chew instead of this arrogance of thinking we can fix the whole system all at once.”

The Americano/ Agencies

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