Senate Democrats beat back GOP

After nearly 9-1/2 hours of back-to-back votes that went until nearly 3 a.m., the Senate reconvenes Thursday morning to rank work on a House collection of “fixes” to the sweeping aid reforms subscribed into law on Tuesday.

But anyone sleeping through the late-night action need not vexation most missing something big. Some of the specially thickened votes are likely to be repackaged as campaign ads for fall midterm elections.

In a process dubbed vote-a-rama, the Senate voted down 29 Republican amendments to aid reform, on near-party-line votes. The votes, however, did put senators on record on issues ranging from tax hikes and back-room deals for certain states to gay marriage in the District of Columbia and whether to ban Medicare payments to cover Viagra for sex offenders.

Healthcare 101: What the calculate means to you

Senate body had hoped to pass the collection of House fixes without amendment, thus sending this carry-on calculate straightforward to the Oval Office for the president’s signature. That meant fighting back every GOP amendments, including some that are popular with the public.

“I will oppose any amendment no matter how good that amendment may be,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) of California, noting the grandness of keeping the aid governing intact.

'Fixes' collection back to the House

With the occasional exception, Democrats did in fact stop together through 29 thickened votes, defeating every one. But Republicans found two secondary procedural points, expected to be raised on the story Thursday, that will require adjustments in a student give manoeuvre included in the aid fixes. That means a revised fixes collection will need to go back to the House for a re-vote. Anticipating this possibility, House body are holding the House in session through the weekend before a two-week break, if necessary.

“These changes do not impact the reforms to the student give programs and the important investments in education,” said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate majority leader Harry Reid.

The essential point, Senate Democratic body say, is that the Senate is on track pass the House fixes without any substantive changes. Many amendments proposed by Republicans would have significantly reworked the new law.

Amendments Republicans offered

Sen. Judd Gregg (R) of New county opened the sequence of votes with an amendment to block the use of some $500 billion in Medicare funding for a new entitlement – an amendment that would have gutted financing for the aid bill. He proposed, instead, that any savings in Medicare to be used to increase Medicare solvency. Two Democrats, Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Jim economist of Virginia, joined every Republican senators in voting for this amendment, which was tabled (derailed) by a vote of 56 to 42.