Hoyer: Senate Health Bill Is ‘Clearly Better Than Nothing’

With all eyes on the outcome of today’s shockingly close special Senate election in Massachusetts, Washington’s prognosticators are wondering what the Democrats will do on health care reform should GOP candidate Scott Brown steal the seat. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) offered two possibilities today, telling reporters that if Brown wins, Democrats could still get the bill to the White House before he’s sworn in — in which case Senate Democrats would still control the 60 seats needed to defeat a GOP filibuster.

If that plan falls through, Hoyer added, House leaders are ready to rally the lower-chamber Democrats behind the Senate bill, which passed on Christmas Eve. “The Senate bill,” Hoyer said, “clearly is better than nothing.”