Senator Ben Nelson joined the growing list of Democratic Senators seemingly committed to a filibuster of any health reform bill that contains a public option:
In a warning sign for the White House, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska tells ABC News that he’ll vote to block any health care bill that looks like the bill passed by the House.
“Well, first of all, it has more than a robust public option, it’s got a totally government-run plan, the costs are extraordinary associated with it, it increases taxes in a way that will not pass in the Senate and I could go on and on and on,” Nelson said in an interview that is part of ABC News’ Subway Series with Jonathan Karl.
“Faced with a decision about whether or not to move a bill that is bad, I won’t vote to move it,” he added. “For sure.”
This comes as Harry Reid says he plans to move forward on the bill next week:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) late Tuesday laid the groundwork for the Senate’s healthcare reform debate to start next Tuesday.
Reid filed a motion to introduce the bill on Monday, Nov. 16. Anticipating a Republican objection, the bill would be pushed onto the Senate calendar.
“A motion to proceed to the bill would be in order the next legislative day,” said Reid spokesman Jim Manley.
In doing so, Reid heeded the advice of former President Bill Clinton, who visited Senate Democrats Tuesday at their weekly caucus lunch and urged them to move quickly to pass health reform. Clinton imparted lessons from his own attempt during his presidency, in 1993, and said Democrats should be prepared to compromise but should act with speed.
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Reid’s action late Tuesday sets up a critical vote next week on a motion to proceed to the bill. Such a motion would require 60 votes to succeed — an important, early test of the Democratic caucus’s unity on procedural votes. Several senators who caucus as Democrats have expressed skepticism about the bill, while others have expressed a willingness to support procedural votes.
The battle, it seems, will be resuming much sooner than anticipated.
