Today, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb) said he will not vote for cloture on the Senate health care bill. Without his vote, Reid does not have the 60 votes required to stop a Republican filibuster. Sen. Nelson has been holding out until abortion restrictions similar to those in the House version of the bill were put in to the Senate bill. But now he is claiming that even if the abortion language in the bill is changed to his satisfaction, he still will not vote for cloture.
I’m hoping that Sen. Nelson really means what he is saying. If he stops this bill, he will save the most innovative and technologically advanced health care system in the world. However, I’m worried that he may not be taking this stand on principle and could be holding out for some kickback and pork barrel spending for his state. We heard how the blue dogs in the House were not going to vote for the health care bill, but in the end they did. In the Senate, we heard that Lierberman and Landrieu were not going to vote for the bill, but Landrieu was bought off with the new “Louisiana Purchase” and Lieberman recently said he expects to vote for the health care bill. Every other Democrat that has claimed they would not vote for this bill has eventually succumbed to the pressure of the left wing of the party. I’m not holding my breath, but I truly hope Sen. Nelson stands strong.
I encourage everyone to contact him and tell him to stay the course and kill this terrible bill. The phone number for his D.C. office is (202) 224-6551. You can also contact him via email by clicking here.
Here is the audio and transcript of the interview where Sen. Nelson made the claim,
HOST: “You’ve been very clear that you do not like the idea of federal funding going towards abortions. You provided the amendment that did not pass muster with the Senate. Is that the single issue right now—if that were changed, would that be enough, right now, for you to go along with the bill?”
NELSON: “No. There are other substantive issues…”
…
HOST: “But if the abortion issue is taken care of to your satisfaction, whether it be some kind of compromise that is to your satisfaction, would that be enough for you to vote for cloture and go forward?”
NELSON: “No.”
HOST: “That’s not enough alone?”
NELSON: “That’s not enough.”
…
NELSON: “A deadline and a timeline that’s out there that is not achievable isn’t helpful. I can’t tell you that they couldn’t come up with something that would be satisfactory on abortion between now and [Christmas], and solve all the other issues that I’ve raised to them. But I don’t see how.”
…
HOST: “Senator, we gotta let you go, but I want you to bottom line this for our listeners. As of right now, the way things stand right now, you would not vote cloture on this bill.”
NELSON: “That’s correct. On cloture on the motion to end debate. I voted for cloture on the motion to begin debate and I said at the time, and I’m following through on that, if … it’s not at the point where I think it needs to be with the improvements that I’m pushing, and they’ve made a lot of them, then I will not vote for cloture on the motion to end debate.”
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I have to be suspicious. Either this guy is holding out until enough pork suddenly arrives in his district, or there is something else going on.
I’ll say this: it’s always fascinating to hear a democrat vocal about a pro-life stance. The media seems to polarize democrats as all liberal, abortion supporters, so it’s interesting when senators like this one make the headlines.
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