GOP wins House battle over Medicare bill

cnn ^ | 11-22-03

[steppenwolffe]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a dramatic vote that took almost three hours to complete, the House narrowly passed a Medicare and prescription drug bill and sent it to the Senate for final consideration.

Democrats held a slight lead in the vote count for most of the session. But the Republicans, who control the chamber, refused to close the vote. That allowed GOP leaders and President Bush -- who made several middle-of-the-night phone calls to wavering members -- to scrounge up more votes.

[Semper Paratus]

you can't keep the ballot open forever

I thought they wanted to count every vote.

[Jodi]

Democratic opponents took to the Senate floor to complain that the proposal would reward insurers and drug manufacturers at the expense of older Americans and would undermine Medicare, The Associated Press reported.
The changes, which include options for private health care coverage, would virtually remake the Medicare program, requiring older Americans earning more than $80,000 a year to pay a higher premium, for the first time, for their non-hospital coverage, according to the AP.
The bill also would create new tax-preferred health accounts, open to individuals with high-deductible insurance policies, the AP reported.

hey look, cnn takes the dems and ap at their word and not one quote of rebuttal from the repubs or the aarp. golly, what a shock!

[ambrose]

"The president and I had a conversation and I did what I think was the right thing for the country," a visibly distressed Franks told a reporter while leaving the Capitol. "I don't have any other comment."

Wonder if Karl Rove killed his kitty cat or something like that. Just kidding.

[ambrose]

Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, bellowed from the floor that Republicans had abused the system. "Just like on Election Day you can't keep the ballot open forever," he said.

Yes, these are the same clowns that on every election run to some party hack judge to "extend" voting in minority Rat areas.

[pageonetoo]

Your (MY) tax dollars at work... $1,000,000,000...read ONE BILLION DOLLARS... for treatment of illegals... and I don't get anything, but the bill!
I just love these small-government Republicans! NO MORE will they get any donations from me!!!

[NittanyLion]

Title should be: "GOP Wins, Conservatives Lose, House Battle Over Medicare Bill"

[Consort]

...Conservatives Lose,...

How have the Conservatives been doing overall, lately?

[NittanyLion]

How have the Conservatives been doing overall, lately?

Mixed bag, as near as I can tell. I'm keeping a bit more of my paycheck, but with spending initiatives like this one the bill will come due before long.