–Senate Democrats, Republicans Conclude Debate With Angry Words
–Senate Majority Leader Says More Than Eight Hours of Votes Loom
–Senate Finance Chief Says Amendments Designed To ‘Kill’ Health Bill
–Senate Minority Leader: GOP Wants To ‘Repeal and Replace’ Health Law

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – The Senate’s debate on the health care
reconciliation bill ended Wednesday evening with angry recriminations by
Democrats and Republicans.

The Senate has begun voting on dozens of amendments and is likely
to continue voting until Thursday.

As the debate closed, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid praised the
sweeping health care bill that was passed into law Sunday and said the
reconciliation bill under consideration should be approved without any
amendments.

“It’s a wonderful bill and we’re going to improve it,” Reid said,
calling the reconciliation bill a package to “make that law even
better.”

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus urged Democrats to
oppose all amendments that have been offered to the reconciliation bill,
saying they’ve been crafted by Republicans “to kill health reform.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted the Democratic
health care bill as packed with tax increases, special deals and
Medicare cuts.

He said the Republican strategy is to “repeal” the new health care
law and “replace” it with a new approach to health reform.

Sen. Judd Gregg, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee,
said that voting against all amendments would be a “most arrogant
process.”

Reid said that more than 28 amendments are pending and that it will
take about eight hours to “get rid” of all of these.

Republicans have said they have additional amendments that they
will request votes on, extending consideration of the bill into
Thursday.

The reconciliation bill makes a number of adjustments to the
comprehensive health care bill that President Obama signed Tuesday.

If the Senate passes the reconciliation bill without any changes,
it goes to Obama for his signature. But if the legislation is altered at
all, it must be sent back to the House for its consideration.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has said that if the
reconciliation bill, which the House approved Sunday is changed by the
Senate, the House will vote on the amended bill this week.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **

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