Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu was one of three senators that finally threw their support to debate health care and thereby handing President Obama an important victory. But still many hurdles remain until health care reform is real.
The Senate voted 60-39 on a motion to proceed to debate on the controversial health care reform bill. 60 votes were needed to block a potential filibuster. All Democrats and independents Sanders (VT) and Lieberman (CT) voted yes. One Republican, Senator George Voinovich of Ohio was absent and did not vote. Landrieu followed Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson to vote yes and the 60th vote came from Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.
This means that the Senate can start debating the issue but still many important votes remain until President Obama can sign a bill giving Americans a health care reform that is expected to expand health insurance coverage to most of the 46 million people who lack insurance today. The future fate of the bill can be scheduled in fifteen points:
1) In the next several weeks, Senators will debate the bill and offer amendments to change, remove or add provisions.
2) The Senate Majority Leader and the Minority Leader may agree on the number of amendments to be offered and the time allocated for debate. If not, the Majority Leader may use parliamentary procedures to limit the number of amendments.
3) Senate rules allow for unlimited debate in most cases. Prolonged debate in order to force changes or scuttle a bill is called a "filibuster."
4) The Senate votes on a motion to bring debate to an end, this is called "invoking cloture." If three-fifths of the senators vote for the cloture motion, debate must last no more than an additional 30 hours.
5) The Senate votes on final passage of its bill. A simple majority is sufficient to pass the bill.
6) If the Senate passes a bill, then House and Senate leaders will meet to resolve differences between their respective passed bills.
7) House and Senate leaders will appoint a conference committee of several members from each body to reconcile the two bills. Important bills are frequently rewritten or killed because the conferees fail to settle their differences. The meetings are often secret.
8) Senators opposed to the bill may filibuster the motion to create a conference committee. A cloture vote can stop the filibuster.
9) If the conferees resolve their differences, they issue a "conference report"; the final version of the legislation.
10) The conference report is debated in the House and in the Senate. It cannot be amended.
11) Senators opposed to the conference report can filibuster it. A cloture vote can stop the filibuster.
12) In the House, members opposed to the conference report can offer a "motion to re-commit," essentially one last-chance vote to kill or amend the bill.
13) The House votes on approval of the conference report.
14) The Senate votes on approval of the conference report.
15) If approved, the legislation goes to the president for his signature or veto.
Written by Marcus Oscarsson
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