House Rejects GOP effort to block Democrats Strategy to Approve Senate Health Bill
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The House of Representatives Thursday turned back an effort by Republicans to block House Democrats from using a parliamentary gambit to approve the Senate's health care reform package.
Rep. Parker Griffith (R-AL), who just became a Republican in December, sponsored a resolution that would have required Democrats to have a straight up or down vote on the Senate's health measure.
As part of a complex, legislative tangle, House Democrats are using a tactical two-step to approve the Senate's health bill. In a few days, the House is expected to take up a special budget reconcilation package to okay health care reform. But before doing that, they must approve an earlier version of health care reform that the Senate passed on Christmas Eve.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
House Democrats are planning to piggyback the Senate bill onto a procedural vote which would move the reconcilation resolution to the floor. Thus, there would be no distinct vote on the Senate bill. That vote would be a "two-fer," passing both the Senate bill and clearing the way for the reconcilation process.
The vote was 222 to 203.
All Republicans voted for Griffith's resolution.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Twenty-eight Democrats broke ranks and sided with Republicans on this issue.