Senate Healthcare Bill Is The 'Framework' For Further Reform, Says Key Democrat

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 3:32PM
Talk Radio News Service (Admin) in Congress, Frontpage 1, Majority Leader Harry Reid, Meagan Wiseley, News/Commentary, Sen. Benjamin Cardin, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Sen. Joe Lieberman, Senate health care bill, medicare expansion, public option

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told reporters Tuesday that although the Senate healthcare bill may not contain a medicare expansion or a public option, she will vote for it.

Said Stabenow, "We’re in a legislative process where we have to bring everyone together and get the very best that we can, and then keep working.”

“This is about a framework...and that will change the debate going forward,” she added.

The Senator from Michigan advocated passing the healthcare bill rapidly so it can then be melded with the House bill and sent to the President's desk by the end of this year.

Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) said during the press conference that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) currently does not have the 60 votes needed to pass the bill.

“The goal here is to get the job done...to get 60 votes so that we can proceed and overcome the actions of the Republicans, that’s what we’re going to continue to focus on,” Cardin said.

Stabenow and Cardin denied to comment on Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) refusal to support the bill if it included a medicare expansion provision.

Article originally appeared on Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media (http://www.talkradionews.com/).