Nelson calls on Republican colleagues to help avoid using reconciliation on health care

Thursday, January 28, 2010

January 28, 2010 -- Today, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson issued an invitation to Republican colleagues in the Senate to work with him to avert efforts to pass health reform legislation using the truncated reconciliation process.

"If Republican colleagues are serious about fixing our health care system and want to avoid using the reconciliation process, then I will go to the negotiating table with them," Senator Nelson said. "If Republican senators join me at the table, we can use bipartisanship for health reform rather than use reconciliation, which needs only 50 votes to approve legislation.

"All it takes is one Republican to come forward, put partisanship aside, and work on behalf of those that do not have or cannot afford health insurance," Nelson added. "Working together, we can fight to ensure health reform relies on our private market system, rather than the government to reduce the cost of health care and deliver better care for millions of Americans.

"Reconciliation has never been my preference for moving legislation. Instead, I always prefer the regular order process that allows full and open debate, many amendments and an opportunity for broad bipartisanship. That can be achieved, if Republican colleagues come to the negotiating table with their ideas and proposals," Nelson said.

President Obama in his State of the Union address Wednesday night urged Republicans and Democrats to take another look at the health reform plan he's proposed, which he called an improvement over the status quo.

"But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors, and stop insurance company abuses, let me know," President Obama said. "Here's what I ask of Congress, though: Do not walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people."

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  • Senator Nelson you have to be kidding! Your previous actions have defined your positions. If it wasn't for your vote, we Americans wouldn't be in this mess. The label "Decipticrat" fits you well. Forget my vote in 2012.

    -- Posted by Online on Thu, Jan 28, 2010, at 2:35 PM
  • Can you believe the audacity of this guy?

    Ben may be pretending to be a moderate, but he is just as much a liberal as Obama. He is an embarssment to the good conservative folks of Nebraska and especially the folks from his hometown.

    It is so demeaning to me to board a flight in McCook knowing that it is named after him. I feel that everyone should drive to North Platte or Grand Island to board flights until the airport name is changed back to a more appropriate name.

    Maybe that will get his attention.

    -- Posted by RLD on Thu, Jan 28, 2010, at 4:34 PM
  • What is this??? You call for help from the Republican side??? Nothing is going to help you now since the deceit you have shown to the Nebraskans who thought you were working for them. Now it is up to the Nebraskans to get our own out of trouble and get a new senator to represent us. Good luck on your new career.

    -- Posted by edbru on Fri, Jan 29, 2010, at 7:24 AM
  • It is amazing that one republican gets voted in and all the sudden things change over night, wonder what stunk so bad in the health bill?

    -- Posted by rayramjet on Fri, Jan 29, 2010, at 9:02 AM
  • Over all the years that he has served our State and more significantly our community, you are now calling him a "disgusting individual". Are you perfect? Have you always made the right decision? He's probably sick and tired of all the ridicual and trying to make the right decision that he is finally calling the Republican's bluff and asking for their opinion and their assistance. WHAT'S SO WRONG WITH THAT? At least he is TRYING to come to a solution instead of fighting with the "other side" all the time. WORK TOGETHER! Until then, all republicans, democrats and independents are going to suffer.

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Fri, Jan 29, 2010, at 11:55 AM
  • The issue is health care reform and the truth is Nelson has not gone far enough. Do you know that over the last two years 1/3 of all Nebraskans were without health care at one time or another, rates have double in the last seven years, and insurance companies have reaped record profits over the same period of time. And don't give me this free-market nonsense. The industry is dominated by only a few companies and they are exempt from anti-trust laws through the McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945.

    I'm tired of this babbling from people who in a few years willing be crying about how their premium are too high. We need reform, we need a public option, and we need it now.

    -- Posted by jelsener on Sun, Jan 31, 2010, at 12:04 PM
  • There are several thousand insurance providers in the US and only a few can compete in nebraska. WHy si that so? Imagine if you had a few choices for car insurance? How would that go? probaly high rates and prices going up continually. I recent;y had a company raise my rates for no reason tother than," we had to pay more claims in Nebraska". I shopped it around and got better coverage and svaed almost 250 bucks a year. Seems the fre market works when it is allowed to.

    SO what has gubment done well recently? Ever? Putting the idiots in Congress in charge of health care really makes a lot of sense dosen't it.

    -- Posted by Chaco1 on Mon, Feb 1, 2010, at 10:49 AM
  • Insurance can be found in other cities that will work here in McCook. Liability on vehicles averages $75 a month for kids here. Go out of town and you can pay $40 to $45 a month for the same exact coverage. Why are all the insurance companies in McCook the same??

    Insurance premiums going to be too high in a few years?? They are already too high. Too many sue happy people who look for an "out" to get big bucks on behalf of someone's mistake. Should be the other way around. The more mistakes made, the less cost it should be to the public.

    Benedict should have asked for help before making his vote. Too many die hard Democrats and Republicans. I agree. Let's all work together.

    -- Posted by edbru on Mon, Feb 1, 2010, at 7:34 PM
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