US Senate totters toward health care vote

Washington: The US Senate staggered toward the health care finish line on Wednesday, as Republicans used new tactics to delay debate and a Democratic holdout remained uncommitted after meeting US President Barack Obama.

With Democrats racing the clock to finish before Christmas, the slow-moving Senate health care debate ground to a complete halt as Republicans forced the reading of a 767-page amendment.

Republican Senator Tom Coburn invoked his right to require an amendment by independent Senator Bernie Sanders be read aloud by a Senate clerk — a task that dragged on for over three hours before Sanders pulled his amendment.

Democratic Senator Ben Nelson, a moderate and an abortion rights opponent, said he was still undecided after meeting with Obama. He was studying possible compromise language designed to meet his goal of strengthening a ban on using federal funds to pay for abortions.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has been scrambling to gather the 60 votes needed to overcome Republican procedural hurdles. He has no margin of error as Democrats control exactly 60 votes.

Slow-moving priority

The health care bill, Obama's top domestic priority, has been bogged down in the Senate amid disputes among Democrats over costs, plans for a new government-run insurance programme and Nelson's abortion concerns. Republicans have been unified in their opposition.

Reid agreed to accommodate moderates like Senator Joe Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, by eliminating proposals for the government-run insurance option and an expansion of the Medicare government health programme for the elderly and disabled.

But that angered liberals like Sanders, who said he told Obama and Senate leaders his vote was still up in the air.

"I've indicated both to the White House and the Democratic leadership that my vote is not secure..." he said.

Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu, another moderate who earlier voiced concerns about the bill, told reporters on Wednesday she would vote for it barring any surprise changes.

"I'm generally happy with ... the bill ... and will vote for it barring any significant change," she said.

The bill would extend coverage to 30 million uninsured Americans, provide subsidies to help them pay for the coverage and halt practices like refusing insurance to people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Eye on procedure

The Senate moved to a defence spending bill on Wednesday, but is expected to return to health care by next week.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid must file his amendment and three procedural motions to end the health care debate in the Senate by the end of the week, setting off a series of votes that will lead to a vote on final passage.

If the Senate passes its bill, it would then be reconciled in early January with a version passed on November 7 by the House of Representatives.

Each chamber would have to pass it again before sending it to Obama to sign into law.