Wednesday, April 18, 2007

McCain and Brownback missing on the Medicare vote

Senate Republicans successfully stopped a vote on a bill that would allow the government to negotiate cheaper prices for drugs under Medicare. 55 Senators voted in support of the bill, short of the 60 needed to break a filibuster and move the bill forward. 5 Republicans joined all the Democrats and both Independents.

3 Senators missed the vote: Tim Johnson, still recovering from brain surgery, and the two Republican presidential candidates John McCain and Sam Brownback. This despite the efforts of the AARP, which organized a call-in particularly targeting McCain.

McCain had supported similar legislation in 2005 and 2006, going so far as to co-sponsor legislation with Olympia Snowe.

Brownback had supported the 2005 bill, but voted against the effort in 2006.

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