The US House of Representatives has again passed a children’s health-care bill by a margin that’s short of what’s needed to override Spurious George’s certain veto. It may seem pointless to send yet another one up there for yet another veto, but it’s not.
For one thing, the congressional Democratic leadership needs to lean on the holdouts, the ten who didn’t vote[1] and the one (Jim Marshall, of Georgia’s 8th congressional district) who voted against the bill. If those eleven vote in favour, they’ll have the 2/3 they need to override the veto, at least in the House. And it wouldn’t hurt if they can pull a few more Republican representatives onto the side of sensibility, and away from their blind fealty to the king.
And for another thing, to keep sending this bill up there, with some modifications but with substantially the same main point, tells the president and the people something very important. This is an important law to pass, and congress should keep sending it, putting the blame for our failure to provide health insurance for children whose families can’t afford it right where that blame belongs: with the CEO. With George Bush.
[1] Just for the record: Susan Davis (CA), Bob Filner (CA), Diana DeGette (CO), Julia Carson (IN), Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI), Carol Shea-Porter (NH), Charlie Wilson (OH), Dan Boren (OK), Peter DeFazio (OR), and Eddie Bernice (TX).
1 comment:
THose ten dems didnt vote because they didnt have to. All that was needed was a majority to get it passed. If it was an override vote than everyone would be expected to be there.
And you need 290 for an override. Even if they all were there and voted, it still would have fallen short. The numbers havent changed since the first vote.
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