Patient protection bill fails in Senate, but hope lingers
The AMA has launched a campaign to pressure the Senate to pass the House's version of patient protection legislation, following a recent narrow vote in the Senate on the House bill. "We need everyone here and your colleagues back home to immediately join in a full-court press to get the U.S. Senate to enact a real patients' bill of rights," said AMA Chair D. Ted Lewers, MD, at the AMA's Annual Meeting.
Four Senate Republicans joined Democrats on June 8 in supporting a failed attempt by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D, Mass) to gain passage of the House-passed patient protection bill favored by the AMA. In 1999, only two Republicans voted with Democrats on the issue.
Kennedy's attempt failed 51-48, with one Democrat absent. "We expect additional Senate votes in the future," said AMA President Thomas R. Reardon, MD.
The vote came as negotiations to hammer out differences between the House and Senate patient protection bills appeared stalled. In debate that preceded the vote, Kennedy called the negotiations a "charade." Sen. Don Nickles (R, Okla.), who chairs the negotiating committee, said it was making progress and accused Kennedy of "political theater."
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