
Will Healthcare Reform Get to the Senate Floor?
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Democrats finally have a healthcare reform bill they want to get to the Senate floor before next week's Thanksgiving vacation. Republicans will use all available parliamentary maneuvers to prevent that from happening. We hear how the bill compares to the House version and assess its chances. Also, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is inaugurated for a second term, and a federal judge holds the Army Corps of Engineers responsible for massive damage to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Now the Obama Adminstration will have to decide to appeal or face billions in lawsuits.
Banner image: Senators Mike Johanns (R-NE), George LeMieux (R-FL) (L) Richard Burr (R-NC) (2nd L), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (R), speaks at a news conference regarding the Senate's healthcare reform bill on Capitol Hill. Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images
Making News
Afghan President Hamid Karzai's Inauguration ()
Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, was locked down today so that Hamid Karzai could be safely inaugurated for his second term as president. To applause from Hillary Clinton and other foreign observers, he promised to crack down on corruption and said that foreign troops would be out of the country in five years. Dion Nissenbaum is in Kabul for the McClatchy Newspapers.
Guests:
- Dion Nissenbaum: Jerusalem Bureau Chief, McClatchy Newspapers, @DionNissenbaum
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Main Topic
Will Healthcare Reform Get to the Senate Floor? ()
The Senate's healthcare reform bill is finally a 2000-page, $848-billion reality, including the public option, with an allowance for states to opt out. It would cover 94% of legal American residents and reduce the deficit with Medicare cuts and taxes on cosmetic surgery and so-called "Cadillac" plans. What's the same and what's different from the bill passed by the House? What about abortion? Can Republicans prevent the bill from reaching the Senate floor?
Guests:
- Alex Wayne: Reporter, Congressional Quarterly
- Ron Pollack: Executive Director, Families USA, @FamiliesUSA
- Michael Tanner: Director of Health and Welfare Studies, Cato Institute
- Emily Friedman: Adjunct Assistant Professor of Bioethics, Boston University
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Reporter's Notebook
Judge Says Army Corps Culpable in Katrina Flooding ()
The Army Corps of Engineers admitted in 1988 that its maintenance of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet "threatened human life" but "did not act in time to prevent the catastrophic disaster" caused by Hurricane Katrina 17 years later. That's according to federal Judge Stanwood Duval, Jr., who says the Corps is liable for damages to three families and one business. Harry Shearer, host of KCRW's Le Show, is a part-time resident of New Orleans.
Guests:
- Harry Shearer: Host, Le Show
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