Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle (60-39 vote to advance bill)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 11/21/09 | David Espo - ap

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON – Invoking the memory of Edward M. Kennedy, Democrats united Saturday night to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. There was not a vote to spare.

The 60-39 vote cleared the way for a bruising, full-scale debate beginning after Thanksgiving on the legislation, which is designed to extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny or dilute benefits and curtail the growth of spending on medical care nationally.

The spectator galleries were full for the unusual Saturday night showdown, and applause broke out briefly when the vote was announced. In a measure of the significance of the moment, senators sat quietly in their seats, standing only when they were called upon to vote.

In the final minutes of a daylong session, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., accused Republicans of trying to stifle a historic debate the nation needed.

[glock rocks]

"Already the hour is late. Government has laid its hand on health, housing, farming, industry, commerce, education, and to an ever-increasing degree interferes with the people's right to know. ... We approach the point of no return when government becomes so huge and entrenched that we fear the consequences of upheaval and just go along with it."

— Ronald Reagan

[AmericanArchConservative]

There are none. They all put the ‘rat party before the country.

There WILL be blood shed if they pass this bill as written.

We, the People are completely fed up with being taxed and ignored, taxed and insulted, taxed and lectured to, taxed and mocked, taxed and ridiculed, taxed and told to sit down, shut up, and take it.

We are not stupid, we are not docile, we will not suffer these outrageous slings and arrows much longer without bringing consequences to bear upon the DC doers of evil who rob us and our neighbors of our bread - of our livelihoods.

Though they clearly regard us as such, We the People are not open wallets with legs...

We are Citizens with Rights which we SHALL reassert!

A.A.C.

[ully2]

Historically bad.

[TigersEye]

I feel sick...

Bad timing there.

[popdonnelly]

What a moron.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Yea, you can’t tell me Coleman didn’t win that election fair and square.

[Cheerio]

This vote to proceed to debate is usually a no brain-er not a nasty fight . Th real fight in the floor debate so get ready top fight like HELL for the next three to four weeks !

97% of all bills that get to debate (which should have been stopped tonight), pass when the final vote is taken. WHAT MAKES ANYONE THINKS THIS IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT WITH A VETO PROOF SENATE?

[Windflier]

I feel sick...

Buck up, Pandor. In the immortal words of CPT Clay, "Pick up your weapon and follow me."

We ain't beat by a long shot.

[Yorktownpatriot]

Inglorious traitorous bastardy demoncrats!

[chris_bdba]

I honestly hope they go home and have the ____ scared out of them by their constitutents!

[NormsRevenge]

Not even the amnesty bill had this much trouble getting to the floor.

—

this pig in a poke will likely have as disastrous an effect or worse if we’re lucky.

[Brizick]

They are all whores,the only question was the price.

Amen!

[ScottinVA]

It sure was. I feel bad for my adult children and grandkids. They are facing a tough future.

I'm thinking that too. I wonder in what "America" my granddaughter will have to contend. This country is going to be an economically poorer, militarily weaker and more politically fractured entity by the time she's an adult. But, at least I can feel blessed for having the opportunity to experience our nation's last surge of greatness in the 1980s. We had an outstanding run, folks.

[Windflier]

We are Citizens with Rights which we SHALL reassert!

Yes, we shall. 100% concur, my friend.

Screw the pansy-asses who are folding around us in docile submission.

[ncalburt]

That's a quote from Rush and I just learned it not not that accurate. In fact, bills die at many stages and no one has ever measured it by percentages before so where the 97 % comes from is not known.
NO offense to Rush but he was telling everyone that Amnesty was a Done deal too.

[jveritas]

Totally agree.

[pandoraou812]

I was feeling sick all day now I feel worse.

[Cheerio]

Historic only in the sense of its advancement of socialism.

The man-child is planning his run for a 2nd term in 2012 this very night - this is the success that he desperately needed, and Lieberman's and Landrieu’s votes gave the RAT party the success they have been dreaming of for more than 5 decades.

Contrary to everyone posting that 2010 elections will be a sweep for GOP, I believe just the opposite is true. Now the RATS can appeal to their non-working hands-out liberals who want to continue sucking off the public teet and say "Look what we did for you!!! We got the rich and the working people to give you free insurance!!!!.

There is only one solution for this madness - go Galt and/or stop paying taxes.

[DBrow]

“...a bruising, full-scale debate beginning after Thanksgiving on the legislation, ..”

Somehow I don’t believe this. Now that Harry got 60 to “debate”, he can push for a real vote ASAP.

[pandoraou812]

"Pick up your weapon and follow me."

Good advice!