Posted on 12/22/2009 4:09:15 PM PST by mdittmar
WASHINGTON It may be the only bipartisan agreement that Congress reaches this year on overhauling health care.
Republicans, under pressure not to wreck Christmas for lawmakers and their staffs, agreed Tuesday that Senate passage of the Democrats' controversial bill seemed inevitable and scaled back procedural-delay mechanisms to allow a vote by the morning of Christmas Eve.
Had the full debate continued, the Senate would have voted at around 9 p.m. Thursday, too late for many lawmakers and their staff members to get home in time for the holiday. Instead, the vote is set for 8 a.m.
President Barack Obama had announced that he'd delay his own departure for his family vacation in Hawaii until the vote was over.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had said that he'd been willing to stay late into Christmas Eve because, "It's important that we take the time to analyze it in every way that we can before the final votes are taken in the Senate."
However, Democrats as well as Republicans expressed concern about missing Christmas since many live in places where planes can't get them home in time and others were concerned about an ice storm that's threatening the Midwest.
McConnell also said, "The final vote in the Senate is not the final vote. There are substantial differences between the House and Senate bills. This debate is not over."
If the Senate's version passes as expected, it will be considered by a House of Representatives-Senate conference, or negotiating, committee, which typically operates largely in secrecy.
"The American people are still going to have another month or so, I would guess, to weigh in and express their concerns about this package to each of their representatives," McConnell said.
(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...
Yep............It’s a whole lot easier to sit down and be quiet than it is to stand up and shout.........
Right.
So the plan in 2010 is to take congress back from the evil SOB’s that run it now and give it to the coward GOP’s who buckle at ANY pressure from the other side.
Can’t wait to see how THAT works out for us.
He is the only one who can...
Merry Christmas...
***************
Truer words have never been spoken.
Regards.
M.C.
They know they can run away and not be held accountable. They know people will forget about it by the time they "find their way back" to Washington.
Gawd I hate politicians. They're all bottom feeders.
Upset?????
No......I’m not upset........
I’m FURIOUS that they won’t FIGHT.....
I’m FURIOUS that they just stand by and accept the shit that’s being smeared in their faces and just smile and talk about their “Distingused Colleages” on the other side of the aisle. Bull$hit!!!! These people are our ENIMIES and need to be treated as such
I want them to put up a fight, yell,scream do something besides just stand there!!!!!!!!!
I don’t give a rat’s a$$ if they get home in time. Do the work hold up the bill. Pansy a$$.
They changed the rule so they could vote earlier and go home.
Why not delay the voting until after the holiday?
Seriously, what’s the official reason?
This course of action can only be interpreted as wreckless. This isn’t some fly-by-night legislation, like a gratuitous pay raise voted in their own self-interest at 1 in the morning. We are talking about ram-rodding legislation likely to affect 1/7th of the economy on a timeline to meet holiday/vacation obligations?
In the US Senate, they must consider this health-economy legislation a war, for only dire circumstances would warrant such abandonment of process and procedure.
The US Senate as a warring party???
Get real, It’s Reed’s fault for pushing so hard however you look at it. He’s just trying to keep his guys away from the constituents before the vote.
Letting everybody go home early is the least you could do.
And never let it be said that you didn't do the least you could do.
Merry frickin' Christmas. :0/
I would imagine that our Founding Fathers would castigate these pathetic excuses for public servants, if not physically do harm to them.
I would imagine that our Founding Fathers would castigate these pathetic excuses for public servants, if not physically do harm to them.
F**K YOU GOP!
ENJOY YOUR VACATIONS BASTARDS, OUR FREEDOM WILL BE PAYING FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I so agree.
Limp wristed cowards. I suppose McConnell was too worried about “getting along” with Reid.
The Republicans have no way of stalling the vote until after Christmas. What part of this don’t some of you understand? The GOP doesn’t even have to be there, as the DIMS have the votes anyway. So, they might as well go home, then regroup after the 1st. This gives them time to evaluate what their next move is, rather than stay in the heat of the battle. A little cooling off - or as its called in football - a timeout.
ALLEGED leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky
what a first class USELESS JERK!
He should just MAN UP AND DO HIS *^$%$(! JOB
The rest of the country is PAYING him to WORK, nobody else in this country gets to slack off and not work in the REAL WORLD.
ALLEDGED leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky should resign IMMEDIATLY.
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