blanche lincoln

In the wake of Saturday’s Senate vote to take up the chamber’s health reform legislation, the focus of the debate has shifted back to the public option, over which no fewer than four Democratic caucus members — Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) — have threatened to [...]

TPMDC’s Brian Beutler reports that Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has announced he plans to vote to send the Senate health care bill to the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has scheduled the vote for Saturday night.
“This weekend, I will vote for the motion to proceed to bring that debate onto the Senate [...]

On the Fence
Likely Supporters
Likely Opponents

8
51
41

On the Fence

Senator

Stance

Home State Data*

Evan Bayh (D-Ind.)
Rachel Maddow Show: “Sen. Bayh told us it is extraordinarily unlikely that he would filibuster health reform. He said there is nothing in the bill he is aware of now that would cause him to vote to filibuster and he said that he currently ‘can’t [...]

Lest you should think that Sen. Max Baucus’ (D-Mont.) “no” vote on the Environment and Public Works Committee’s climate bill signaled his opposition to comprehensive climate legislation in general, look no further than his opening statement this morning at the first hearing on the legislation in the Finance Committee, which he chairs:
[...] I am committed [...]

The Senate Finance Committee just voted down the second and last public option amendment expected to be offered during the panel’s markup of health reform legislation. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), would have created a public plan to compete with private insurers on a newly formed marketplace, called the exchange.
The vote was [...]

As the health care debate twists and turns through the Senate, the prospects for a public option remain murky. This scoreboard, updated daily, can serve as your one-stop shop for senators’ stances on a public plan — in their own words. See our methodology here. Last updated: Nov. 10, 5:22 p.m.

On the [...]

Alexandra pointed out here last week that Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), newly promoted to head the Senate Agriculture Committee, has been raking in the dollars from Big Ag this year, tallying at least $306,500 in the past eight months alone, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That figure puts her well above anyone else [...]

At Wednesday’s Agriculture Committee hearing on climate change policy, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), who is expected to take over as chair of the committee, again voiced her concerns about passing cap-and-trade legislation this year — though she seemed a bit less aggressively against moving a bill this year than she has in previous statements.
Lincoln affirmed [...]

With the news that Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) will be leaving his post to take the helm of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee following the death of that panel’s previous chairman, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) is set to take Harkin’s place on the Agriculture Committee. [...]

With Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) apparently assuming the chairmanship of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, moderate Arkansas Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln is set to take over as chair of the Agriculture Committee.
The shift would have the most significant impact on the Senate’s pending climate legislation, as the Ag Committee is expected to shape [...]