From The Los Angeles Times:
Senate rejects GOP-led bid to repeal healthcare law
The 47-51 party-line vote comes two weeks after House Republicans approved a repeal resolution.
By Noam N. Levey, Washington Bureau
February 2, 2011, 7:58 p.m.Reporting from Washington — Senate Democrats on Wednesday turned aside a bid by Republicans to repeal the new healthcare law, in the first Senate test of the sweeping overhaul that President Obama signed in March.
The 47-51 party-line vote on a procedural motion came two weeks after House Republicans pushed a repeal resolution through that chamber.
And it ended the first chapter of the GOP legislative attack on the new law, setting the stage for new battles over specific provisions of the law, including the controversial mandate that will require most Americans to get health insurance starting in 2014.
Unfortunately, the insurance industry’s lackeys in Congress aren’t giving up. Instead of improving on the law, Republican leaders are vowing to undermine parts of the bill or defund it.
Republican lawmakers – backed by business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation – said they would come up with an alternative to the law.
“We’d repeal this bill right now, and then we’d begin the work of achieving our common goal of delivering healthcare at a higher quality for lower costs,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told his colleagues on the Senate floor. “We’d put in place the common-sense reforms people actually want.”
http://www.latimes.com/health/healthcare/sc-dc-healthcare-repeal-20110203,0,6567474.story
Yeah, Senator McConnell, there is an alternative that would deliver higher quality health care for lower costs and would become instantly popular with Americans. Expanding Medicare to everyone!
Sylvia@californiaonecare.org