Boo-hoo for the insurance weasels.
Boo-hoo for the Prince of Petulance.
Go House! (Override was by larger measure than original passage.)
Go Senate!
FINAL VOTE: 70-26 in the Senate!!!
Update: Senate Roll Call (h/t histopresto)
House Roll Call (h/t Llarian)
From the comments:
Why this is important for our veterans and their families.
Why this is important for people suffering from mental illness.
The New York Times is reporting this thusly:
President Bush cast a futile veto on Tuesday, rejecting a bill that would protect doctors from cuts in their Medicare payments. But hours later, the House and Senate voted to override the veto, making the Medicare measure the fourth bill to become legislation over Mr. Bush’s opposition.
The president’s veto message to the House said that he objected to the bill because it was "fiscally irresponsible" and relied on "short-term budget gimmicks" that do not address the long-term fiscal soundness of the Medicare program.
But the House voted, 383 to 41, on Tuesday afternoon to override the veto. Soon afterward, the Senate voted by 70 to 26 to do so. Although the Senate vote was close enough to provide some suspense, it was still over the two-thirds needed, as a number of conservative Republicans who typically side with the president broke with him on this issue.
(snip)
Source ~ The New York Times
(Note: The President is calling the Congress "fiscally irresponsible"? Jeepers. That's like me calling Cindy McCain "thrifty.")
And from The Los Angeles Times earlier:
In a swift rebuke to President Bush, the House voted overwhelmingly today to override his veto of a Medicare bill that would forestall pay cuts to doctors who treat seniors, the disabled and military personnel.
The House voted 383 to 41 to block the president's veto. A Senate vote to override the veto is scheduled for later today and is expected to be close.
The pay cut to doctors would take effect today and many have said it would force them to stop treating Medicare patients.
(snip)
Bush and many Republicans oppose the bill because funds to prevent the cut in doctor payments would come from more than $12 billion in cuts to private insurance companies that offer coverage under the private Medicare Advantage program, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield. They oppose overriding the veto to restore fees to doctors by cutting payments to private insurers.
(snip)
The bill originally passed the House by 355 to 59 and then passed the Senate this month in a dramatic 69-30 vote that followed the unexpected appearance of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who took a break from cancer treatment to return to the Senate to support the bill.
Bush vetoed the bill this morning, declaring it "objectionable" because it would take funds from private health insurers, would "undermine the Medicare prescription drug program," and is fiscally irresponsible.
Without the veto override, 60% of doctors would be forced to limit the number of new Medicare patients they treat, according to the American Medical Assn., which supports the bill.
Source ~ Los Angeles Times
I'll update as I get more information, but I watched the Senate vote on C-Span and wanted to get the good news out ASAP.
More good information (from the comments):
From TomP ~ some important history and thanks to Ted Kennedy
From FishOutofWater ~ why this helps those with mental illness
From Steve Young (Democratic candidate for the CA 48th) ~ why this helps veterans and their families