November 17th, 2009 – Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, of Nevada said that the Democrats in the Senate are close to having their bill completed and that all the Senate Democrats will support the new bill.
Senator Reid was non-committal when asked if he would have the 60 votes needed to pass the bill in the Senate. Even if the bill does pass there are significant differences between the House and Senate health bills that may prove to be very difficult to reconcile.
Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said Democrats faced mounting public opposition.
“I think the public is saying to all of us, quit passing thousand-page bills, concentrate on improving the economy,” Mr. McConnell said. “Every poll I’ve seen, the American people are saying, ‘Don’t pass this health-care bill.’ And I’m perplexed at the Democrats’ intent to ignore public opinion and go forward with this.”
