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Senate Passes Cloture on Bill that Would Delay Competitive Bidding
On Wednesday, the Senate voted on cloture for H.R. 6331, a bill that passed in the House prior to the July 4 holiday. The bill known as the "doc fix" would also delay competitive bidding 18 months. After debate, the Senate passed the motion by a three-fifths margin — 69 to 30.
According to AAHomecare, a rule for the vote means a successful cloture vote also serves as a vote in favor of the bill itself. President Bush vetoed the bill today. The margins of votes in both the House and Senate are enough to overturn the veto — though the 69 to 30 margin is more than enough to overturn a veto.
In a statement, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "The overwhelming and bipartisan votes in the House and the Senate — both by veto-proof margins — send a clear message to President Bush that our efforts to strengthen Medicare for our seniors should become law, with or without his signature."
According to AAHomecare, the House plans to debate and vote on the override mid-afternoon today. The Senate is likely to vote either later today or tomorrow on the veto override. Final calls and emails this afternoon will help ensure a strong override vote.
