As U.S. Senate Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced yesterday that he would employ the ultimate backroom deal of reconciliation in order to ram the Democrats’ unpopular health care legislation through Congress, Missouri’s Democrat Senate hopeful Robin Carnahan (D-MO) has remained silent on the contentious measure.
According to the Associated Press, Carnahan (D-MO) said that she would have voted for final passage of the President’s health care bill when it passed in the Senate last year on Christmas Eve. However, thus far Carnahan has failed to speak out and denounce Reid’s divisive plan to use reconciliation in the absence of 60 Democrat votes in the Senate.
A new Rasmussen Reports survey found that the Democrats’ health care plan is extremely unpopular in the Show-Me State, as only 37 percent of Missouri voters approve of the plan working its way through Congress, while 60 percent oppose it.
“Robin Carnahan has already embraced the President’s contentious health care bill, so will she also embrace Harry Reid’s plan to ram this unpopular bill through Congress using the ultimate backroom deal of reconciliation?” asked National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokeswoman Amber Marchand. “The majority of Missourians disapprove of the costly health care plan that Carnahan supports. So will Carnahan endorse Harry Reid’s decision to ram the President’s bill through the Senate using the ultimate backroom deal of reconciliation?”
Background Information:
“Carnahan Said She Would Have Voted For The [Health Care] Bill.”The Associated Press, 12/24/09) (“Missouri Senators Split On Health Care Legislation,”
After The Senate Passed The Obama-Reid Health Care Legislation, Carnahan Expressed Support For The Senate Bill While Avoiding Specifics. “Like so many Missouri families, I understand the importance of health care in a very personal way; and as a breast cancer survivor, I understand that it is not a partisan issue. From day one, I made it clear that hard hit middle class Missourians need health care reform that provides accessible, affordable and stable health care for our families and small businesses. For too long, big insurance companies have been raking in profits while the rest of us are left holding the bag—it’s long past time to help Missouri families. While more needs to be done to get tough on insurance companies by creating more competition to drive down costs for all consumers, this legislation takes important steps to stop insurance companies from denying people insurance due to preexisting conditions, and to insure nearly 800,000 more Missourians.” (Robin Carnahan For Senate, “Robin Carnahan Statement On Health Care Reform,” Press Release, 12/24/09)
