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Congress
Overrides Bush Medicare Veto
Margin of Override Increased
as More Republicans Cross Party Lines to Vote Against Presidential
Veto
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July 16, 2008 (updated) -- Although
concerns had been raised that the veto-proof majority of last week's
Senate
vote on reversing Medicare cuts might not hold, both the Senate and
House
of Representatives yesterday quickly overrode President Bush's veto,
made earlier in the day. The vote represents only the fourth time
in eight years that Congress has overidden one of President Bush's
vetoes.
The House vote was 383-41, with
153 Republicans crossing party lines; the Senate vote was 70-26,
with 21 Republicans voting for the override. The Senate margin was
even greater because Republican John Warner of Virgina was not voting,
but he
had previously
voted for the bill. Democrat Ted Kennedy, in treatment
for cancer, and Presidential candidate Barack Obama, who is campaigning,
also
were not present, but both had voted "yea" for the
bill last week. Additionally four Republicans, who had previously
voted against the legislation, switched sides to vote for the override.
Yesterday's session represents a significant turn-around
on the issue for the Senate, which less than three weeks ago was
only
able
to
muster 59 votes.
Presidential candidate John McCain did not vote
on the override, nor had he been present to vote for or against the
bill on previous occasions, although he was quoted by Bloomberg
News ("Senate
Vote on Doctor Fees Carries Risks for McCain") as stating, "I
would have voted against it". His position on yesterday's override
is unknown
at this time.
The bill reverses cuts to Medicare physician payments
of 10.6% that were scheduled to go into effect July 1. Other Medicare-patient
coverage
would also be affected. In addition, the new legislation contains some
new provisions to increase aid to low-income Medicare recipients.
A list by state of the Senate override vote
follows:
| Alabama: |
|
Sessions (R-AL), Nay |
|
Shelby (R-AL), Nay |
| Alaska: |
|
Murkowski (R-AK), Yea |
|
Stevens (R-AK), Yea |
| Arizona: |
|
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay |
|
McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting |
| Arkansas: |
|
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea |
|
Pryor (D-AR), Yea |
| California: |
|
Boxer (D-CA), Yea |
|
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea |
| Colorado: |
|
Allard (R-CO), Nay |
|
Salazar (D-CO), Yea |
| Connecticut: |
|
Dodd (D-CT), Yea |
|
Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea |
| Delaware: |
|
Biden (D-DE), Yea |
|
Carper (D-DE), Yea |
| Florida: |
|
Martinez (R-FL), Yea |
|
Nelson (D-FL), Yea |
| Georgia: |
|
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea |
|
Isakson (R-GA), Yea |
| Hawaii: |
|
Akaka (D-HI), Yea |
|
Inouye (D-HI), Yea |
| Idaho: |
|
Craig (R-ID), Nay |
|
Crapo (R-ID), Nay |
| Illinois: |
|
Durbin (D-IL), Yea |
|
Obama (D-IL), Not Voting |
| Indiana: |
|
Bayh (D-IN), Yea |
|
Lugar (R-IN), Yea |
| Iowa: |
|
Grassley (R-IA), Nay |
|
Harkin (D-IA), Yea |
| Kansas: |
|
Brownback (R-KS), Nay |
|
Roberts (R-KS), Yea |
| Kentucky: |
|
Bunning (R-KY), Nay |
|
McConnell (R-KY), Nay |
| Louisiana: |
|
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea |
|
Vitter (R-LA), Nay |
| Maine: |
|
Collins (R-ME), Yea |
|
Snowe (R-ME), Yea |
| Maryland: |
|
Cardin (D-MD), Yea |
|
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea |
| Massachusetts: |
|
Kennedy (D-MA), Not Voting |
|
Kerry (D-MA), Yea |
| Michigan: |
|
Levin (D-MI), Yea |
|
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea |
| Minnesota: |
|
Coleman (R-MN), Yea |
|
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea |
| Mississippi: |
|
Cochran (R-MS), Yea |
|
Wicker (R-MS), Yea |
| Missouri: |
|
Bond (R-MO), Yea |
|
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea |
| Montana: |
|
Baucus (D-MT), Yea |
|
Tester (D-MT), Yea |
| Nebraska: |
|
Hagel (R-NE), Nay |
|
Nelson (D-NE), Yea |
| Nevada: |
|
Ensign (R-NV), Nay |
|
Reid (D-NV), Yea |
| New Hampshire: |
|
Gregg (R-NH), Nay |
|
Sununu (R-NH), Nay |
| New Jersey: |
|
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea |
|
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea |
| New Mexico: |
|
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea |
|
Domenici (R-NM), Nay |
| New York: |
|
Clinton (D-NY), Yea |
|
Schumer (D-NY), Yea |
| North Carolina: |
|
Burr (R-NC), Nay |
|
Dole (R-NC), Yea |
| North Dakota: |
|
Conrad (D-ND), Yea |
|
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea |
| Ohio: |
|
Brown (D-OH), Yea |
|
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea |
| Oklahoma: |
|
Coburn (R-OK), Nay |
|
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay |
| Oregon: |
|
Smith (R-OR), Yea |
|
Wyden (D-OR), Yea |
| Pennsylvania: |
|
Casey (D-PA), Yea |
|
Specter (R-PA), Yea |
| Rhode Island: |
|
Reed (D-RI), Yea |
|
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea |
| South Carolina: |
|
DeMint (R-SC), Nay |
|
Graham (R-SC), Nay |
| South Dakota: |
|
Johnson (D-SD), Yea |
|
Thune (R-SD), Nay |
| Tennessee: |
|
Alexander (R-TN), Yea |
|
Corker (R-TN), Yea |
| Texas: |
|
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea |
|
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea |
| Utah: |
|
Bennett (R-UT), Nay |
|
Hatch (R-UT), Nay |
| Vermont: |
|
Leahy (D-VT), Yea |
|
Sanders (I-VT), Yea |
| Virginia: |
|
Warner (R-VA), Not Voting |
|
Webb (D-VA), Yea |
| Washington: |
|
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea |
|
Murray (D-WA), Yea |
| West Virginia: |
|
Byrd (D-WV), Yea |
|
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea |
| Wisconsin: |
|
Feingold (D-WI), Yea |
|
Kohl (D-WI), Yea |
| Wyoming: |
|
Barrasso (R-WY), Nay |
|
Enzi (R-WY), Nay |
Reported by Burt Cohen, July 16, 2008
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