Via Senatus, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D., Ark.) “today condemned the use of a legislative procedure that would allow members of the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Senate’s health reform bill without actually voting for it.”
The floor maneuver has been used in the past, but Lincoln said it should not be appropriate as a way to pass monumental health care reform.
“Arkansans and most Americans are demanding more accountability from Washington, not less, so I believe that any plan to approve major reform without actually voting for it simply won’t fly outside the beltway,” Lincoln said. “The Senate had a full and transparent debate on health care reform last year. Because of my efforts, the original Senate proposal and the final Senate bill were both posted online 72 hours prior to their respective votes so that the public could review the bills. I took the additional step to post to my official Web site the bill language and every amendment that the full Senate considered to give Arkansans the opportunity to review the proposals.
“The House should vote on the Senate health bill under normal rules. I noticed that Bill Halter has called for more accountability in Washington, so I expect him to stand with me and support transparency throughout these final stages of the debate on health insurance reform.”