UPDATES: 12/05/09 the House passes HR 3590 patient protection/affordable care act

House Democrats added 5 amendments to HR 3590:

Senator Kerry’s (A2926) passed 96-0 to preserve home health benefits

Sen. Stabenow (A2899) passed 97 ayes 1 nay

Sen. Thune (A2901) passed 51 ayes 41 nays

Sen. Whitehouse (A2870) pasesd 98 ayes 0 nays

Sen. Bennett (A2826) passed 100 ayes 0 nays

(R)Senator johanns amendment to eliminate cuts to Medicare home health services  was voted down  53 nays  41 ayes; it also would have sent the Bill back to the CFO  to remove all cuts in the bill before getting back on the floor for further consideration.

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H/S action on 12/03/09

The House makes its way to voting on extending the Estate Tax Cuts, the bill, sponsored by Blue Dog Earl Pomeroy, would make permanent the lower estate tax rate that was enacted by President Bush. /H.R. 4145 — Permanent Estate Tax Relief for Families, Farmers, and Small Businesses Act of 2009

UPDATE: HR 4145 Passes: 225 ayes   200 nays… 26Democrats and 174Republicans voted nay …6Democrats and 3Republicans abstained

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Senator McCain’s amendment and his attempt to send the entire 2074 page bill back to the Senate Finance Committee was rejected by a vote of 58-42

Democrats stated no guaranteed benefits to Seniors will be cut.  The bill “does not take away any seniors’ guaranteed Medicare benefits,” Bennet said on the Senate floor. “We know that the bill extends Medicare solvency for five additional years.”  Passed 100-0.

The Senate also voted on 2 Women’s Health Amendments proposed by Senator Mikulski and Senator Murkowski

The Mikulski amendment was Approved by a vote of 61-39. Sen. Susan Collins [R, ME] and Sen. Olympia Snowe [R, ME] joined Democrats to vote in favor the amendment. Sen. Russell Feingold [D, WI] and Sen. Ben Nelson [D, NE] voted with Republicans against it.

The Murkowski amendment was Rejected by a vote of 41-59. Sen. Ben Nelson [D, NE] was the only Democrat to vote in favor of the Murkowski amendment along with all Republicans.

Senator Mary Landrieu offered up another Public Option…option, called the competitive community option, that reads like the trigger that Senator Snowe proposed but  is calling it a fallback.

opencongress.org / Donny Shaw

and Point/Counterpoint