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Political Briefing
Legislative News for the Week of March 1, 2010
In This Issue
Democrats Refuse to Renounce Reconciliation
NFRW Women in the News
On the Hill
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"This issue of reconciliation has been brought up. Again, I think the American people aren't always all that interested in procedures inside the Senate. I do think that they want a vote on how we're going to move this forward, and I think that most Americans think that a majority vote makes sense."
 
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President Barack Obama at the White House health care summit on February 25, 2010

Democrats Refuse to Renounce Reconciliation

Watch President Obama in his own words talk about how health care reform  should NOT be passed with a 50 + 1 strategy.
 
In a speech Wednesday, President Obama called for Congress to "finish its work" on health care reform.  Obama and the Democrats have laid out a tentative strategy to ram their health care bill through Congress with a 50 + 1 strategy. 
 
Their strategy hinges on three critical votes: the House must approve the $871 billion Senate bill, and then both the House and Senate will vote on a budget reconciliation bill that will solve several objections to the Senate bill.  It is a completely partisan strategy for the Democrats.
 
Key House Democrat votes include: Reps. Brian Bard (WA), Rick Boucher (VA), Bart Gordon (TN),  Frank Kratovil (MD), Suzanne Kosmas (FL), Michael McMahon (NY), Scott Murphy (NY), Glenn Nye (VA), Bart Stupak (MI), John Tanner (TN)
 
Key Senate Democrat votes include: Sens. Evan Bayh (IN), Mark Begich (AK),  Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Mary Landrieu (LA), Joe Lieberman (CT), Blanche Lincoln (AR), Claire McCaskill (MO), Ben Nelson (NE), Bill Nelson (FL), Mark Pryor (AR), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Mark Warner (VA)
 
The key to defeating health care will be the continued engagement of the American people on this issue.  Women have a great deal at stake in the current health care debate as we most often find ourselves making the health care decisions in our families.  As women, it is crucial that we continue to make our voice heard on this issue. 
 
Contact your Representative and Senator TODAY to let them know YOU want to make the health care
decisions for you and your family!
 
Email political@nfrw.org and let us know what you or your club are doing to continue to make your voice heard.

NFRW Women in the News

 
The NFRW salutes Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for representing the voice of women all over the United States at President Obama's Health Care Summit last week. 
 
She spoke strongly about the importance of empowering the individual to make health care decisions in order to fix many of the problems facing the American health care system.   She also presented some of the solutions Republicans have offered for cost containment through purchasing insurance across state lines which would lower costs and give individuals more options.   
  
Rep. Blackburn said, "What we're saying is we don't need more government in health care. We need to free people up and let them get outside of this and make decisions that are going to be best for their families."
 
Contact Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)  and thank her for being an important voice for women. 
 
Rep. Marsha Blackburn
217 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 T (202) 225-2811 F (202) 225-3004
 On the Hill
Capitol Hill
Rep.  Charlie Rangel (D-NY) has finally agreed to step down as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee as the ethics investigations surrounding him continue.
 
President Obama gave a speech today calling for Congress to move quickly to pass his health care proposal.   House and Senate Democrats hope to pass the bill by Easter.
 
Republicans are still calling on President Obama to renounce reconciliation as a tactic to pass the health care bill.
 
The GOP plans to introduce a "resolution of disproval" in hopes of blocking the EPA's expansion of greenhouse gas finding issued last year.
 
The Senate voted 78-19 to pass a bill extending unemployment benefits, highway funding, and several other programs for a month.  This happened after Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) ended his filibuster of the bill on Tuesday.
 
Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) was named to the Senate Armed Services, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Veteran's Affairs Committees.
National Federation of Republican Women
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