MA Senate Race: A Referendum on Health Care?

What's happening in Massachusetts today could dramatically affect the outcome of the health care reform debate in Washington.

In the race to fill the seat held by the late Senator Edward Kennedy, polls are showing a come-from-behind push by Republican Scott Brown in his bid to beat the Democrat Martha Coakley.   If Brown wins, the Democrats lose their 60 vote filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.  That could spell big problems for passage of health care. 

Already, though, there's talk that Democrats are considering an option - if Brown wins- to have the current Senate-approved bill sent to House 'as is' and push for approval there - clearing the way for government-run health care reform to be signed into law by President Obama before his scheduled State of the Union address on January 27th.

There's a lot that's very troubling with such a scenario - including the fact that it would prevent the newly-elected Sen. Brown from casting a vote on health care.  Such a move would circumvent the election in Massachusetts and deny the clear will of the people. 

At the same time, any move to keep the incoming Senator from participating in the process would likely result in serious political fallout for Democrats.  And, of course, final passage of this government-run health care reform would likely trigger legal challenges.

Most people understand that the health care plan being pushed by the Democrats is not what Americans want.  Support for such a plan continues to erode with a new poll suggesting that 56% of Americans are opposed to the current proposals.

There's a lot riding on this Senate election in Massachusetts.  And, the outcome is very likely to have a dramatic impact on the success or failure of the flawed government-run health care bills now under consideration in Congress.

We have assembled a team of ACLJ lawyers to prepare legal memorandum and analysis on this important matter.