Wonk Request - Medicare Improvements Act (Blocked in Senate; McCain AWOL)

[MH1]

Ah, this is a question for the resident wonks. I am interested in when this bill, H.R.6331, will come back up for a vote - I expect it will be soon.

Allyson Schwartz has a nice summary of the main issues in the Philly Daily News today; here's an excerpt (bold mine):

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20080708_Senate_drops_the_ball.html

The Bush administration put the insurance industry before seniors, by increased payments in billions of dollars to the insurance industry, while putting into place a series of cuts to doctors and hospitals. These cuts come at a time of increasing costs to our nation's health care providers, and jeopardize access to lifesaving health services.

On July 1 the latest cut in physicians' fees, a cut of 10.6 percent, went into effect.

(SNIP)

On June 24, the U.S. House passed legislation to prevent the impending physician fee cut. Against the wishes of the Bush administration and the Republican leadership in Congress, this bill received an overwhelming vote of 355-59 in the House, including the support of 17 of the 19-member Pennsylvania House delegation.

This bill, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, protects seniors' access to their doctors, improves access to other vital health services, and increases the use of health information technologies to reduce errors and save lives.

The next step for this bill was Senate passage; on June 26 it went to the Senate floor for a vote.

Despite a groundswell of public support and the tight timeline, Senate Republicans blocked this bill. The bill fell just one vote short of passage, with Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey voting for the bill, and Sen. Arlen Specter voting against it.

The Senate's failure to pass this bill before the July 1 deadline is both an outrage and an incredible disappointment. Senate Republicans choose to play partisan politics, jeopardizing the health care of more than 44 million American seniors.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has pledged to bring this legislation back as soon as possible for a vote.

Note, only two Senators did not show for this vote: Kennedy (he has a doctor's excuse) and McCain (what the HELL is his excuse?).

Anyway I am trying to roust some pressure on my own no-good fake "moderate" Senator, but wondering when this might be brought back up for a vote. This WSJ blog has some context:

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/06/30/with-medicare-pay-hold-claims-backlog-will-build-up/

(the comments are also entertaining, considering it's the Wall Street Journal!)

So, um, I wonder if anyone else here knows what is going on with this bill?

(and why aren't we reading about this on the progressive blogs? Oh, right, FISA FISA FISA FISA ..... :eyes:)

Oh and for Kerry-relatedness, imo, making it fail by exactly one vote when Teddy couldn't be there was a nasty friggin' poke in the eye and somebody needs to pay. I expect JK is also very interested in this bill.

I have to hit the sack now, and tomorrow I'm in meetings most of the day :banghead:, but I'll try to drop by and join the discussion if I can. Thanks for any info anyone can add. And please do spread the word about the roadblocking on this bill, if you feel so inclined. :)

[karynnj]

1. I'm not sure why they said it failed by one vote

The cloture motion was rejected - it needed 60 and got 58.

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 2nd Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate


Vote Summary

Question: On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to Consider H.R. 6331 )
Vote Number: 160 Vote Date: June 26, 2008, 08:20 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected
Measure Number: H.R. 6331 (Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 )
Measure Title: A bill to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to extend expiring provisions under the Medicare Program, to improve beneficiary access to preventive and mental health services, to enhance low-income benefit programs, and to maintain access to care in rural areas, including pharmacy access, and for other purposes.
Vote Counts: YEAs 58
NAYs 40
Not Voting 2


(I don't know the answer to the other though I assume doctors and others areputting pressure on the roadblock Republicans.

[MH1]

3. Reid had to vote against cloture, so that he could bring it up again.

If not for one REPUBLICAN vote, of course Reid would have voted for cloture.

[Inuca]

2. From one wonk to another

Reid said yesterday that he intends to bring it up again this afternoon.

[MH1]

4. Thanks!!

[beachmom]

5. Ted Strong!!!!!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/9/161741/8141/244/548938

BREAKING (really!) -- Ted Kennedy on the Senate floor!! Hotlist
by N in Seattle
Wed Jul 09, 2008 at 01:20:44 PM PDT

Right in the middle of the Medicare cloture vote.

They broke into a standing ovation for him.

I can't wait to hear the clerk say "Mr. Kennedy ... AYE".


OMG, this is amazing!

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91QI3FO0&show_article=1

Ailing Kennedy returns to the Senate for vote

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, battling a brain tumor, walked through a wall of applause into the Senate on Wednesday and cast a stunningly unexpected vote on long-stalled Medicare legislation.

"Aye," the 76-year-old Kennedy said in a loud voice, and he made a thumbs-up gesture as he registered his vote.

Spectators in the galleries that overhang the chamber burst into cheers—a violation of decorum that drew no complaints.

...

He walked into chamber accompanied by Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, his party's presidential nominee-in-waiting, as well as fellow Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and his own son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island.

Democratic senators, who had been tipped to his presence, burst into applause when he entered. Some Republicans looked around quizzically, then joined in the applause when they saw Kennedy.

"I return to the Senate today to keep a promise to our senior citizens and that's to protect Medicare," Kennedy's office said in a statement it released as the vote was unfolding.

MH1 -- I am SO GLAD you unearthed this story yesterday. I asked the diarist to update with the story from the Philly paper. Hopefully, he/she will.

[beachmom]

6. Also here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3589988

Video here:

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2008/7/9/161741/8141/91#c91

[MH1]

7. That was such a wonderful thing to see

but I am still mad that Ted HAD to come to the floor for this vote - it should have passed easily the first time.

I had the good fortune to turn on cspan at just the right moment this evening to see a replay of the ovation for Ted. That was really nice.