Senate Republicans Plan to Force Vote This Week on Health-Care Repeal

[flpoljunkie]

By Felicia Sonmez

Updated: 3:30 p.m.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday introduced a measure aimed at repealing the national health-care overhaul as an amendment to the first Senate bill of the new Congress.

McConnell proposed the repeal measure as an amendment to a Federal Aviation Administration funding bill. The move came one day after a federal judge in Florida ruled that Congress had overstepped its authority by mandating insurance for nearly all Americans. A vote could come as early as Wednesday, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide.

The push for a vote on repealing the health-care law has picked up broad support among Senate Republicans, although it's unlikely that full repeal would garner the number of votes necessary to pass the Senate. South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint announced on Monday afternoon that his bill calling for the full repeal of the health-care overhaul had won the support of all 47 Senate Republicans; earlier Monday, some GOP senators had yet to sign onto the bill.

Senate Democratic leaders promised on Tuesday that any Republican-led repeal effort would be defeated, potentially by Democrats raising a point of order against the measure.

more...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/02/health-care-hearing-set-for-we.html?hpid=topnews

[AndyTiedye]

1. How Do the Repigs get to "Force a Vote"?

with a minority in the Senate, while we can't do it with a majority?

[dennis4868]

2. Good question

Anyone know the answer?

[flpoljunkie]

5. As an amendment to the FAA legislation on the floor. Reid can require 60 votes to bring it to vote.

There will be a budget point of order since repealing healthcare would increase budget deficit by $230 billion. It would require 60 votes for R's to succeed.

[sharp_stick]

3. Good question

I'm starting to wonder if all the Senate rules end with "except for the members of the Republican Party".

Harry Reid better tell Mitchy to go fuck himself.

[bluestateguy]

4. They may be able to force a vote on a vote to vote

as in a vote to bring the bill to the floor (which takes 60).

And that's even before the cloture vote and before the substantive vote on the actual bill.

[Phx_Dem]

6. They did and it failed. Nice job, assholes. ROLF!