Whip Count (No. 19 in a Series) Bart Gordon Switches From No to Yes
EmailFrom Sunlen Miller:
Congressman Bart Gordon (D-TN) has announced that he will reverse course and now will support the health care bill.
“The health care bill being considered by Congress now accomplishes three things: one, it reduces health care costs for families and small businesses; two, it improves access to affordable care, regardless of pre-existing conditions; three, it lowers our budget deficit,” Gordon writes in a statement released by his office this afternoon, “That’s why I am supporting it.”
This is the second public flip from a member of Congress this week who voted “no” in November, but who has now announced they will vote “yes” in the upcoming vote, following Congressman Dennis Kucinich's (D-OH) announcement yesterday that he would support the bill.
As we’ve previously covered, 220 members of Congress voted for the bill when Pelosi brought the House legislation to a vote.
Since then, four yes votes are no more: Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao, R-La., has said he won’t vote for final passage, Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, retired to run for governor, Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., also retired, and Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., died.
That means to pass the Senate bill, Pelosi starts out with 216 members of Congress who voted yes last time.
With the retirement of Rep. Eric Massa D-N.Y., there are now only 431 members of Congress total, meaning a majority is 216 vote.
-Sunlen Miller
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The ‘Nays’ are lower than a snake’s belly in a wagon rut.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | March 18, 2010, 5:27 pm 5:27 pm
So no mention of the reverse flips (e.g., Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA)? How “fair and balanced” of you.
From Politico:
Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) is a firm “no” on health care reform — in large measure because he opposes the idea of any kind of excise tax on Cadillac plans, even one that’s delayed for years and years.
That’s put Lynch a former ironworkers union official in Boston at odds with many union biggies, who are swallowing hard and accepting a proposed House-Senate compromise.
Lynch — who voted for the tax-less House bill last year — has become a serious target of his union buddies, enduring pickets at his district office, an AFL-CIO robocall blitz and at least one recent drop-in visit from a very influential old friend — Joseph J. Hunt, president of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers.
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While ABC is cheerleading for Obamacare, Pelosi and Obama are still struggling to get votes. Lots of arm-twisting going on for what Obama and Pelosi claim is a great bill…
Posted by: tjp612 | March 18, 2010, 5:33 pm 5:33 pm
Why do some of the poeple think the US gov. owes them anything. I do not have health care myself but the US gov. sould not have to provide me anything and I do have a pre-existing illness. If I had served my country thru the armed forces that would be the only way the US gov. should provide medical coverage
Posted by: Betty Brewer | March 19, 2010, 10:18 am 10:18 am
Betty,
“I do not have health care myself but the US gov. sould not have to provide me anything”
Under the bill being voted on the government would not provide you with medical coverage.
There are things to complain about in the bill, sure, but can we at least stick to reality in our criticisms?
Posted by: jcm52 | March 19, 2010, 12:22 pm 12:22 pm