WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders secured the last two votes to move ahead on historic health care legislation, clearing the way for a Saturday night showdown on President Barack Obama’s top domestic initiative.
In long-awaited speeches, centrist Sens. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana said they would stand with their party and vote "yes" on the crucial test vote despite deep reservations with elements of the 2,074-page bill to remake the nation’s health care system.
"The truth is this issue is very complex. There is no easy fix and it’s imperative that we build on what’s already working in health care in America," Lincoln told her Senate colleagues.
Hours earlier, Landrieu had delivered her news. The two represent votes 59 and 60 for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who needs that many in the 100-member Senate to go forward. The Senate’s 40 Republicans are unanimously opposed.
"That was the easy part. Now it’s only going to get tougher from here on out," Reid’s spokesman Jim Manley told The Huffington Post.
"I’ve decided that there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward, but much more work needs to be done," Landrieu said, with the 8 p.m. EST vote looming.
Senate Health Care Vote Saturday
