Senate conducts vote marathon on healthcare (check the photo at link)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2017888120100325

(Reuters) - The Senate launched a final marathon session on healthcare reform on Wednesday, with Republicans forcing Democrats into a series of politically tough votes before senators pass the last changes to the landmark law.

The day after President Barack Obama signed a sweeping overhaul of the $2.5 trillion healthcare system, the Senate raced to finish a companion package of changes sought by Obama and Democrats in the House of Representatives.

Republicans offered at least two dozen amendments designed to derail the package or force Democrats to take a difficult political stance before November's congressional elections.

Democrats easily killed the first eight amendments and promised to reject them all in an around-the-clock "vote-a-rama" that could last into early Thursday.

The Senate's approval of even one amendment would send the whole package back to the House for another vote, just days after the House passed the $940 billion overhaul in a close vote that capped a yearlong political struggle.

"Make no mistake, the intent of every single one of the amendments on the other side of the aisle is to kill healthcare reform," said Max Baucus, Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

The Republican amendments include proposals to deny erectile dysfunction drugs to sex offenders, to ensure that insurance premiums do not increase under the law and to prevent tax hikes for families earning less than $250,000.

FULL story and photo at link.