Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the other Senate Democrats Plan to Oppose the GOP's Obamacare Amendment to Ban the Provision of Viagra for Sex Offenders
Yes, you read the headline right: Senate Democrats are so concerned about maintaining the exact language of the House reconciliation package for Obamacare that, as reported by Sam Stein of Huffpo, that Senate Dems will vote in lockstep against GOP Senator Tom Coburn’s amendment to ban the funding of viagra for sex offenders:
Democrats in the Senate say they are so committed to passing the House’s version of health care reconciliation fixes verbatim, that they are willing to vote against even the most alluring and unobjectionable of amendments — from legislation banning Viagra for sex offenders to language adding the long-elusive public option.
In what is the final act of the health care reform saga, the Senate on Tuesday began debating reconciliation fixes that the House of Representatives passed two days prior. The process includes a period of what could be unlimited amendments, during which it is widely expected that Republicans will try their best to get the legislation changed.
The idea is that by securing even a slight adjustment in the language, the Senate will have to send the bill back to the House of Representatives for reconsideration. Drawing out the process makes it more likely for it to be tripped up.
On Tuesday, the GOP put its strategy into action, with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okl.) introducing an amendment beyond agreeable. Titled “No Erectile Dysfunction Drugs To Sex Offenders” it would literally prohibit convicted child molesters, rapists, and sex offenders from getting erectile dysfunction medication from their health care providers.
While it will undoubtedly be difficult for Democrats to vote against the measure (one can conjure up the campaign ads already), the party plans to do just that.
“Democrats in the Senate are very unified that this is not going back to the House,” Sen. Wyden (D-Ore.) told the Huffington Post on Tuesday, minutes before the Coburn amendment was introduced.
The coming votes in the Senate on the GOP’s many amendments, including the attempt to ban the provision of viagra to sex offenders, are sure to provide some entertaining political theater and perhaps form the basis for a campaign ad or two against Senate Democrats who are up for reelection in 2010.
Tags: "viagra for sex offenders", Child Molesters, Democratic Senate, Exact Language, Final Act, Gop Senator, Harry Reid, Health Care Providers, Health Care Reform, Huffpo, Lockstep, Rapists, Sen Tom Coburn, Senate Democrats, Senate Dems, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Majority Leader Harry, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Tom Coburn, Sex Offenders, Tom Coburn
Here in San Diego we have been through a horrendous month where two young girls, 17 and the other 14 were found murdered. The sexual predator accused in the 17 year old girl’s death should have been incarcerated for twenty years in August of 2000, on a previous offense but our then District Attorney, Paul Pfingst, only asked for six years and in five he was out.
The 14 year old girl had been missing for over a year.
All the Senate Democrats voted against Senator Coburn’s amendment and that alone is the death knell to Democrats in November and 2012.
@annabel – that’s horrible regarding the San Diego atrocities. Please make sure your views are known in your area, that’s all any American can do.
What a fantastic post! Thank you for sharing it on your site.
[…] women without shelter, despite all that global warming. After all, why not? Coverage for Viagra for child molesters and sex-change operations are already being mandated by ObamaCare […]