A marathon negotiating session of nearly 13 hours on Friday clinched an agreement with Senator Ben Nelson ensuring federal funds would not be used to pay for abortions and providing extra Medicaid funds for his home state of Nebraska. Nelson, a strong abortion rights opponent, had been the elusive 60th vote for Democrats on the sweeping revamp, Obama's top legislative priority and the subject of intense political brawling for months. "Today is a major step forward for the American people," Obama told reporters at the White House. "After a nearly century-long struggle we are on the cusp of making healthcare reform a reality in the United States of America." Nelson's backing should secure victory for Democrats in the first of a series of crucial procedural votes scheduled to begin at 1 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Monday and possibly conclude with final passage on Christmas Eve.
A marathon negotiating session of nearly 13 hours on Friday clinched an agreement with Senator Ben Nelson ensuring federal funds would not be used to pay for abortions and providing extra Medicaid funds for his home state of Nebraska.
Nelson, a strong abortion rights opponent, had been the elusive 60th vote for Democrats on the sweeping revamp, Obama's top legislative priority and the subject of intense political brawling for months.
"Today is a major step forward for the American people," Obama told reporters at the White House. "After a nearly century-long struggle we are on the cusp of making healthcare reform a reality in the United States of America."
Nelson's backing should secure victory for Democrats in the first of a series of crucial procedural votes scheduled to begin at 1 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Monday and possibly conclude with final passage on Christmas Eve.
How Obama could have viewed this as a deseirable result baffles me. Yet it really does seem that, in giving away single payer and the pharma negotiations, this was all that was possible.
this is not a step toward universal health care, this is a poison pill to sour america on the idea for decades to come. keep to the Fen Causeway
