Top Stories
Last updated 7:41 am CT February 09, 2010.
E-mail Story
Print Story
Senate Will Vote on Health Care Reform Bill
WASHINGTON (AP) - Some Democrats are already giving a preview on what could be a rowdy Senate floor debate on a proposed health-care
overhaul.
Liberal and moderate party members aired their differences on Sunday news shows.
Moderates threaten to scuttle the measure if their demands aren't met, while more liberal members tell party leaders not to give in.
Sen. Ben Nelson, (D-Nebraska), told ABC he wants tougher restrictions on what taxpayer money will fund. As other party members sounded annoyed. Ohio's Sen. Sherrod Brown, (D-Ohio), told CNN he doesn't want "four Democratic senators dictating to the other 56."
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-Vermont), issued a statement saying, "I strongly suspect that there are a number of senators, including myself, who would not support final passage without a strong public option."
Meanwhile, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, (D-Illinois), told NBC there's a clock ticking. The Senate's No. 2 Democrat says a health care bill must be passed by the end of the year. By that point, he says President Barack Obama and Congress will need to shift their attention to the economy and jobs.
On the Republican side, Sen. Lamar Alexander, (R-Tennessee), told Fox he thinks the measure will collapse under its own weight during the debate.
On NBC, Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, (R-Texas), called the Senate measure "a disaster" for the nation.
<< Back to Previous Page