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The big health reform issues bedeviling Harry Reid

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey reports on the outlook in the Senate during its weekend session and Majority Leader Harry Reid's continuing efforts to advance the cause.

8 Dec 2009

Snowe becomes less prominent in health debate, McCain more partisan

News outlets report on some of the key players in the health care debate, including Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Colorado Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, both Democrats, and Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif.

8 Dec 2009

Senate Democrats seek agreement on public plan alternative

The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones: "Senate Democrats appear ... closer to reaching agreement on an alternative to a government-run health-insurance plan in health-care overhaul legislation, even as they dealt with disagreement within their party on abortion. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, (D., Mich.) told reporters Monday that Democrats are 'rapidly coming to a conclusion' on language within the bill, including a public-plan alternative."

7 Dec 2009

Nelson introduces abortion amendment to Senate health bill

The Hill: "The Senate took a crucial step toward a showdown on abortion with the introduction of an amendment by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and nine other anti-abortion rights senators." Nelson has indicated that he will join a Republican filibuster effort "if strict abortion language is not adopted."

7 Dec 2009

Obama urges Senators to seize 'historic opportunity'

In a meeting Sunday with Senate Democrats, President Obama urged "a fractious Democratic caucus to pull together to pass landmark health-care legislation," eschewing any policy particulars such as abortion or the public option, The Washington Post reports. A White House spokesman said Obama reminded senators of their "historic opportunity to provide stability and security for those who have insurance, affordable coverage for those who don't, and bring down the cost of health care for families, small businesses and the government" (Murray and Montgomery, 12/7).

7 Dec 2009

Senators to take on abortion this week

Senate Democrats will begin the new week by taking on one of the most divisive issues for their caucus: abortion. The Associated Press reports Democratic leaders are hoping a pep talk by President Obama Sunday and ongoing negotiations on the topic will buttress their effort to address the issue and move on. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., an anti-abortion centrist, introduced an amendment that would ban private health plans that receive federal subsidies from covering abortions, even if they are paid for by patients' premiums, much as the House has done. Liberals say that language is too restrictive.

7 Dec 2009

Some progress on health bill, Senators prepare for long December

"Senate Republicans and Democrats are digging in for a long December, vowing they have no objection to the possibility of a working Christmas to debate healthcare reform," The Hill reports. "From GOP rank-and-file to Democratic leaders, senators say they regret but recognize the need to put public duty ahead of their families and follow a schedule tentatively laid out by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Reid has said he may call the chamber back into session in between the Christmas and New Year's holidays" (Rushing, 12/6).

7 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 7, 2009

President Obama took to the Hill this weekend to boost Senate Democrats' health reform efforts. Meanwhile, the negotiations on flashpoint issues such as the public option continue.

7 Dec 2009

Combative health debate continues: Senate considers insurance executives' pay, cost controls

News coverage is focusing on Senate consideration of amendments to the massive health reform bill.

6 Dec 2009

Obama on Senate health bill: 'They're going to get it done'

News coverage is focusing on the Senate health debate, with some reporting that some agreements may be reached today.

6 Dec 2009

FRC announces phone call campaign to express opposition to health care reform

As Congress prepares to vote on a health care overhaul plan, Family Research Council (FRC) today announced an eight week campaign to call all household phones in Louisiana to survey each household on provisions of the Senate health care bill.

5 Dec 2009

Senators offer cost-constainment amendment; Senate continues to discuss abortion, public option

The Associated Press: "Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, along with Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., unveiled a package of amendments Friday that would reward Medicare patients for picking efficient doctors, require insurance companies to make public more information about claims denials and speed up programs shifting from paying providers for services to paying them for performance

4 Dec 2009

Senate debate expected to turn to abortion

The issue that sharply divided the House during its consideration of health-care legislation is threatening to derail the Senate version of the bill, Bloomberg reports. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., has said he will help filibuster the bill unless Democrats adopt tougher language restricting federal funds from paying for abortions, and may offer an amendment to that effect.

4 Dec 2009

Senate's efforts on health care being slowed by other issues

The Wall Street Journal: "The Senate's slow-moving health bill is colliding with other legislative priorities on the economy, raising chances that Democrats won't meet their goal of pushing a health-care overhaul through the chamber this month." Though some forward progress was evidenced on Thursday when the chamber, for the first time since floor consideration of the health bill began, voted on amendments.

4 Dec 2009

Family Research Council responds to Senate's approval of Mikulski amendment

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins responded today to the U.S. Senate's approval of an amendment authored by U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to authorize the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to include abortion as "preventive care" in their guidelines.

4 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 4, 2009

Today's headlines focus on the Senate's first health bill votes and the behind-the-scenes negotiations regarding the public option.

4 Dec 2009

Reproductive Health Matters' November issue focuses on criminalisation

Elsevier announced today the publication of the November issue of Reproductive Health Matters. Articles in the issue look at criminalisation in relation to a range of global issues: rape and sexual violence; female genital mutilation; selling and buying sex; provision and use of modern contraception and induced abortion; homosexuality, and HIV transmission.

4 Dec 2009

More investment in family planning and pregnancy-related care will reduce maternal and newborn deaths

Maternal deaths in developing countries could be slashed by 70% and newborn deaths cut nearly in half if the world doubled investment in family planning and pregnancy-related care, shows a new report by the Guttmacher Institute and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. Currently, more than half a million maternal deaths and 3.5 million newborn deaths, many of them easily preventable, occur each year in developing countries.

4 Dec 2009

Senate votes to reject Medicare cuts; Reid discusses next anticipated amendments

The Associated Press reported: "Senators voted 58-42 to reject an amendment by Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona that would have stripped more than $400 billion in Medicare cuts from the health care bill. The measure would have sent the bill back to the Senate Finance Committee for a redo" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/3).

4 Dec 2009

Senators prepare to debate abortion treatment in Senate bill

The Associated Press: "Senators debating health care legislation are headed for a clash over abortion, the issue that threatened to derail the bill in the House. Anticipating the showdown, hundreds of abortion rights supporters gathered on Capitol Hill Wednesday to call on senators to keep new abortion restrictions out of the health care bill.

3 Dec 2009