Mary Landrieu to back Senate move on healthcare debate
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Ending weeks of suspense, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu announced today that she plans to vote this evening to end a Republican filibuster and begin formal debate on legislation to overhaul the nation’s healthcare system.
“After a thorough review of the bill,” she said on the Senate floor, “I have decided there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward, but much more work needs to be done.”
But Landrieu insisted that just because she is voting to bring the bill to the floor doesn’t mean that she will back the final bill.
“My vote today to move forward on this important debate should in no way be construed on how I might vote as the vote ends,” she said.
Landrieu was one of three Democratic holdouts whom Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has been trying for weeks to persuade to back the procedural vote tonight.
Reid included language in his bill that would boost aid for Louisiana’s Medicaid insurance program for the poor in a bid for Landrieu’s support.
With the backing of the three holdouts, Democratic leaders would be all but assured of clearing the procedural hurdle, a key step if Congress is to send President Obama a healthcare bill by the end of January, as party leaders hope.
Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, another one of the holdouts, announced Friday that he would vote for the motion, though he cautioned that he still may not back the legislation when it comes up for a final vote later this year.
The last of the three, Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln, is scheduled to announce her plans on the Senate floor this afternoon.
The vote is scheduled for 8 p.m.
-- Noam N. Levey and Michael Muskal
