McConnell ‘Sure Hopes’ Democrats' Health Care Reform Push Is Dead

Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown’s victory Tuesday night could kill Democrats’ chances of completing their months-long effort to reform the health care system, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell seems just fine with that.

When asked at a press conference Wednesday whether he believed if Brown’s long-shot victory meant the legislation in its current form was dead, McConnell replied “I sure hope so.”

“This was in many ways a national referendum, principally on the major issue we’re wrestling with here in the Congress,” the Kentucky Senator explained.

According to McConnell, Brown’s victory could also impede a number of other items on the majority party’s agenda, including climate change legislation.

“There is minimal enthusiasm, to put it mildly, for cap and trade,” McConnell said, but noted that the decision to pursue climate policy would ultimately be left with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

McConnell expressed confidence that neither Democrats in the Massachusetts state legislature or the U.S. Senate will make any moves to pass the legislation prior to Brown being sworn-in, but conceded that the House could still adopt the Senate’s version of the legislation as-is, and thus pass reform.

“I can’t speak for the House,” McConnell said. “There has been discussion on the House side.”

Republican Brown Takes Massachusetts Senate Seat

Massachusetts State Senator Scott Brown (R) has defeated his Democratic opponent, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, to win control of a United States Senate seat that for decades was occupied by the late Ted Kennedy (D), a liberal Democrat. With 100 percent of precincts counted, Brown led Coakley by a 52 percent to 47 percent margin.

The old adage, 'all politics is local,' may not have applied as much as it normally does to the race between Brown and Coakley. Many, who watched as Brown erased a 30 point deficit in the polls over the last few weeks, viewed his victory as a referendum on what has taken place in Washington under the direction of the Obama administration and the Democrats in Congress. Not coincidentally, Brown's ascension to the Senate puts an end to the Democratic super-majority in that chamber. Lacking 60 votes, the prospects of passing a national health care reform bill are all but dead for the Democrats.

However, it remains to be seen how Brown's triumph will affect President Barack Obama's strategy on health care. On Wednesday, Obama's presidential campaign director David Plouffe said, "We have a good health care plan...We need to pass that. We have to lead."

Brown, who replaces Democrat Paul Kirk, who was appointed to Kennedy's seat following his death, will serve the remainder of Kennedy's term, and will face re-election in 2012.

Health Care Reform Can Pass Despite Brown Victory, Says House Majority Leader

By Laurel Brishel Prichard-University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Tuesday that it is possible for Senate Democrats to pass health care reform legislation even if Republican senatorial candidate Scott Brown wins the seat once held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.).

When presented with the notion during his weekly press briefing, the Majority Leader simply responded "yes" and declined to elaborate.

The election of Brown would deny Democrats the 60-vote majority needed for cloture, which if denied could effectively stall the bill indefinitely.

The Massachusetts state legislature could stall swearing in the new senator for up to 15 days, which would provide Democrats with a brief window to pass health care reform with interim Senator Paul Kirk (D-Mass.) still in office.

The polls close in Massachusetts at 8 pm Tuesday evening.

Hoyer also used his briefing to touch upon the crisis in Haiti.

“We are all struck by the extraordinary tragedy,”said Hoyer, who added that there will be legislation to provide additional assistance and resources to the Haitian people in the coming week.