From: "Nick Meyers, Director of Government Relations" <advocacy@...>
Date: June 27, 2008 2:05:06 AM EDT
To: "Hind Benjelloun" <hbenjelloun@...>
Subject: URGENT UPDATE: Senate Again Fails to Pass Medicare Bill
Reply-To: "Nick Meyers, Director of Government Relations" <advocacy@...>

URGENT UPDATE

June 26, 2008

TO:  Board of Trustees 
        Assembly Executive Committee 
        Council on Advocacy and Public Policy 
        Committee on Government Relations 
        Committee on Advocacy and Litigation Funding 
        Committee on Public Affairs 
        APAPAC

FR:  Nick Meyers, Director of Government Relations

RE:  Senate Again Fails to Pass Medicare Bill


Moments ago, the Senate failed to invoke cloture on H.R. 6331, the House-passed Medicare bill, by a vote of 58-41. As you know, 60 votes are needed to cut off debate and thus move to approve the bill. The actual vote was 59-40, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid changed his vote to No for parliamentary purposes. The only Senator not voting was Senator Edward Kennedy.

At this point, we are uncertain about what will happen next. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell brought up a bill to extend the freeze on Medicare cuts for 30-days, but Senator Reid denounced the proposal as cynical partisanship and objected. The House has concluded "all anticipated legislative business" but is proceeding with so-called Special Orders and thus has not technically adjourned.

While this is a disappointing setback, it is by no means a defeat in APA's long struggle to improve Medicare's coverage of treatment of mental illness. On behalf of your DGR staff, I would like to thank all of you for your leadership and assistance throughout this struggle. It is most definitely not over.

I'll provide an update tomorrow (or later this evening if there is action to report).

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