Senate Health Care Bill Clears 2nd Procedural Vote

By 

Nathanael Bennett

|
June 21, 2011

5 min read

ObamaCare

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For the second time in two days, the U.S. Senate has voted to move forward toward final approval of its health care bill.  The 2nd procedural vote occured Tuesday morning and was 60-39.

There is still one more procedural vote needed - scheduled for Wednesday - before the Senate can approve the bill. And, all it takes is one Democrat or Independent Senator to stop this measure from moving forward.  Stand with us now - in this critical time - and sign on to our petition opposing this dangerous bill.  Add your name here.

The first procedural vote occured Monday at 1:18 AM - in the middle of the night - and that vote total was 60-40 - putting the troubling health care bill that was written behind closed doors and released just 40 hours before Senators were required to cast their vote on a path toward final approval.

The early Monday vote tally:  All 58 Senate Democrats - including Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska - supported the measure as well as the two Independent Senators.  All 40 Republican Senators voted to oppose the bill. 

The final procedural vote is set for Wednesday and if that passes with 60 votes, only a simple majority is needed for final approval - that vote will occur on Christmas Eve.

The Senate continues to move closer to passing a massive health care reform bill - which will fundamentally change 1/6 of our economy - without giving the American people time to review the contents of the bill and express their concerns.  Using the approaching holiday as cover, the Senate is working to clear the way for passage of an unpopular and dangerous measure that would dramatically change the way health care is delivered in this nation. 

While there are many problems with the bill - including federal funding of abortion - the bill puts the heavy hand of the federal government at the center of what should be private and personal health care decisions.

Early on Saturday morning, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid released yet another version of the health care reform bill.  This bill was written by Democrats only and finalized behind closed doors, making this introduction the first opportunity for Americans to see what was in the final bill.  Because of this, Senate Republicans insisted that the bill be read on the Senate floor.

Seven hours later, the reading was complete and Senator Reid immediately filed a motion to end debate on the measure - before a single word of debate had been uttered.  This procedural move was made in order to allow the Senate to get past the most critical vote on this measure before millions of Americans were aware of what had occurred. 

At the ACLJ, we remain committed to ensuring that you understand what your elected officials are doing and what is in this bill.  Below are a few of the most important things to consider about this dangerous health care bill:

Government-Run Healthcare While the much-discussed public option has been removed, dont be fooled this legislation still directly inserts the federal government into your health care.  This is accomplished many ways, including through the establishment of a massive national plan that must meet standards set by the federal government.  The bill also authorizes billions of dollars in taxes to pay for government insurance subsidies.  As with any federal program, this is certain to lead to demand outpacing resources, which will necessitate rationing of care, and even denial of care.

Abortion Funding This legislation violates the long-standing policy of prohibiting federal dollars from funding abortion.  Under this bill, millions of federal dollars from taxpayers and participants in the federally subsidized health plans will flow to abortionists for elective abortions.  The accounting schemes in the bill do nothing to change this fact.  While we had hoped that the self-proclaimed pro-life Democrats in the Senate especially Senator Ben Nelson and Senator Bob Casey would stand-up and protect the sanctity of human life, it appears that every Democrat has now accepted the pro-abortion position.

Criminal Penalties Under this bill, the vast majority of Americans will be forced to purchase a certain amount of health insurance coverage.  That's correct - forced to purchase insurance coverage.  The penalty if you don't - the federal government will impose fines.  If fines are not paid, Americans will face the possibility of criminal prosecution.  This far-reaching directive to compel participation in the market presents a number of serious constitutional concerns.  You can read our legal analysis here.

Stand with us as we call on Senators to vote in the interest of the American people and reject this legislation.  Sign our petition here, and we will make sure your voice is heard.

We will bring you updates as this situation unfolds and we'll bring you the latest on our daily radio broadcast, Jay Sekulow Live!