To the Point
Will Healthcare Reform Get to the Senate Floor?
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 Karzai's inauguration, and a judge says the disaster following Hurricane Katrina was man made. Will the federal government be on the hook for billions in damages?
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenDemocrats 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
In this episode
3 storiesAfghan 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.
Read the story8 minWill 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.
Read the story35 minJudge 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.
Read the story8 min
