Filed by KOSU News in US News.
November 20, 2009

Senate Democrats will need to vote in lockstep to overcome GOP opposition to the $849 billion health care bill in a crucial vote Saturday that would move it to the floor for debate. But it’s not yet clear whether Majority Leader Harry Reid can round up enough support.

Every member of the Democratic caucus is vital to reach the 60 votes needed to push the bill forward. So far, it seems likely to pass by a slim margin.

The Congressional Budget Office says the Senate version of the 2,074-page bill would provide coverage to 94 percent of people in this country and cut the deficit by $130 billion in the first decade. Republicans, however, condemn the bill’s price tag, which they say will wind up being more along the lines of $1.5 trillion.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IO) has been a big cheerleader for the bill, saying Thursday that he was “very confident that not only will the Democrat caucus unite around this bill, but that the American people will unite around it also.”

The showdown vote – set to stay open until 8 p.m. Saturday to accommodate out-of-town senator—– is a major hurdle for the health care overhaul. A failure at this stage would be a significant defeat for President Obama, who has put the issue at the top of his policy agenda.

“It’s the same turkey you didn’t like in August, and it’s not going to taste any better on Thanksgiving,” Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said of the bill, which has been wending its way through the Senate for months.

Cost isn’t the only issue that has proved divisive. The language in regard to abortion threatens to dilute Democratic support.

As written, the bill bars federal funding from being used to pay for abortions, except in certain cases, and forbids including abortion coverage as a required medical benefit. However, it would allow private insurers that receive federal subsidies to offer plans that include abortion coverage as long as no U.S. funds are used.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opposes the compromise. Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the organization’s Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, said Reid’s legislation “is actually the worst bill we’ve seen so far on the life issues.” He called it “completely unacceptable.”

The bishops were instrumental in getting the House to adopt tough anti-abortion language, forcing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to accept restrictions in order to gain the needed support, which nonetheless outraged liberals.

The House narrowly passed its version of the health care overhaul earlier this month in a 220-215 vote, with nearly all Republicans and 39 Democrats opposed. Advocates say the House bill would cover 96 percent of Americans at a cost of $1.2 trillion. To pay for the expansion, the House bill would cut Medicare’s projected spending by more than $400 billion over the next 10 years.

From NPR staff and wire reports Copyright 2009 National Public Radio