Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009 | 11:05 a.m.
WASHINGTON — The Senate is known for its sluggish pace, but even three days without a vote on the many health care amendments stacking up is too much for Democrats who emerged this afternoon from a closed door meeting ready to launch a procedural assault to press forward on health reform.
Democrats also agreed to work through the Christmas holiday, including Christmas Day, if needed to pass health care reform over Republican objections.
“If we have to be here Christmas, we’ll be here Christmas,” Sen. Tom Harkin, the Iowa Democrat who is chairman of the health committee, said after the noontime meeting.
Democrats are growing increasingly frustrated as they have been unable to secure an agreement from Republicans to begin voting on amendments to the bill introduced this week.
Two initial amendments, one from Democrats and another from Republicans, have been pending since debate opened on the health care legislation Monday.
On Tuesday night, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sought agreement to vote on those amendments, and two others, but the Republican leadership objected. Republicans say they need more time to prepare their amendments and suggest Reid knew as much when he called for the vote. Republicans insist on a robust debate.
Democrats are not amused. Facing down dozens, if not hundreds, of potential amendments, the delays on voting on each one could thwart plans to complete President Barack Obama’s top domestic policy priority by year’s end. Democrats say they, too, want a robust debate with many amendments, but at some point votes on those amendments must be taken.
“I’ve been around long enough to know when there’s legitimate interest in forming some consensus,” said Sen. Chris Dodd, the Connecticut Democrat who was instrumental in guiding the first bill through committee. “This is rope-a-dope.”
Democrats may begin tabling Republican amendments, which would escalate the partisanship that has plagued so much of the health care debate. Since a motion to table needs just 51 votes to pass, Democrats, who control 60 votes in the chamber, would likely have a better chance at killing Republican amendments than Republicans would have at tabling Democratic ones.
Even with the messy start of the debate this week, Democrats remained optimistic that they would finish the bill by year’s end.
Behind closed doors, one senator at the meeting suggested that since troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are working on Christmas Day, the Senate could do the same to pass health care reform.
The suggested Christmas Day work session was met with widespread support, senators said.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy