Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, one of the moderate Democrats who has
not yet commited to voting on a procedural measure to bring the
health care bill to the Senate floor, released an equivocal
statement
shortly after meeting with Reid earlier this afternoon. On the
one hand, Nelson said he wanted more time to understand what he
was voting on:
“Once Senator Reid releases his merged health care bill and the
Congressional Budget Office fiscal analysis I and my colleagues
will need adequate time—over several days—to review both.
Later this week, the Senate is expected to vote on a motion to
proceed, which needs 60 votes to pass. As I’ve said many times
before I won’t decide how I’ll vote on the motion to proceed
until I know what I’m voting on."
On the other hand, he pushed back against the argument that
Republicans have been making that providing Reid with the 60
votes he needs at any juncture of the process should be
considered the same thing as a vote for the bill:
Some who define it as supporting or opposing President Obama
and his agenda do so because they either want him to succeed or
fail. And some who define it as the last chance to stop bad
legislation have a political agenda: They want to kill any
health care bill Congress considers this year for leverage in
next year’s congressional elections.
That’s more of the old Washington political gamesmanship people
are fed up with. It’s not about working together on a
bipartisan basis for the good of the American people. It’s not
about taking time to get the right health care bill.
In reality, the meaning of the motion to proceed is very
simple:
It’s a motion to commence debate and an opportunity to make
changes.
Let me say it again: it is a motion to start debate on a bill
and to try to improve it.
If you don’t like the bill, then why would you block your own
opportunity to amend it? Why would you stop senators from doing
the job they’re elected to do—debate, consider amendments, and
take action on an issue affecting every American?
He concludes, once again, by emphasizing the need for enough
time:
But before I say yes or no on that motion to proceed, I believe
Nebraskans want me to have adequate time to read the bill and
to study its costs. That’s just common sense.
To do otherwise would be like deciding before the opening
kickoff of a football game to punt on first down. Once I have
the ball—or the bill—and can assess the situation, I’ll be
ready to call a play.”
My reading of this statement is that Nelson will ultimately vote
on the motion to proceed, but that he'll push Reid to wait until
after Thanksgiving recess to hold that vote, as opposed to
rushing a vote this Saturday.
