The House voted yesterday by a 222-203 margin to pass the “Slaughter solution” rule authorizing a single vote on the Senate health care bill which the House leadership wants to send to the president for signature plus the reconciliation health measure the House leadership wants to send to the Senate.
This victory for the Democratic leadership makes it appear that they are on the verge of rounding up the required 216 vote-majority (of the current 431 House members, 253 Democrats and 178 Republicans). But the House leadership, of either party, almost always wins rule votes.
An analysis of the votes cast for and against the rule, together with an examination of members’ public statements and political situations, suggests that the House leadership is still significantly short of 216 votes on final passage, and that opponents of the view have a reservoir of potential noes from more than the 38 Democrats needed to defeat the measure.
Here’s my analysis:
Democrats voted for the rule by a 222-28 margin; all 175 Republicans were opposed. Six members, three Democrats and three Republicans, did not vote; each can be counted on to support his or her party on a final vote.
Of the 28 Democrats voting no, 16 voted against the House health care bill last November: Bright (AL 2), Davis (AL 7), Kosmas (FL 24), Minnick (ID 1), Melancon (LA 3), Kratovil (MD 1), Childers (MS 1), Taylor (MS 4), Adler (NJ 3), Teague (NM 2), McIntyre (NC 7), Shuler (NC 11), Boren (OK 2), Holden (PA 17), Herseth Sandlin (SD 1), Nye (VA 2).
To judge from The Hill’s whip count, almost all of these 16 look like solid noes on the bill, with only Kosmas in doubt. Defying the leadership on a vote on a rule is a pretty clear indication of opposition on the merits. And it’s going to take a lot of persuading to get a member who has cast two safe-harbor no votes to switch, under the glare of publicity, to yes.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Projections-from-the-Houses-deem-to-pass-roll-call--88465682.html#ixzz0ikmbpKHJ
No comments:
Post a Comment