Blanche Lincoln

Senate Democrats won a major victory Saturday night when all 58 Democrats and the two independents voted to block Republican attempts to filibuster the health care reform bill. This was a tremendously important vote in more ways than one. The final votes that allowed the Democrats to prevail came from the same Senators we are counting on to prevent passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. What each of these Senators said about their vote is frightening and should set off alarm bells to everyone opposed to this legislation.

Ben Nelson

The three final Senators to announce their vote to prevent a filibuster were Mary Landrieu (LA), Ben Nelson (NE) and Blanche Lincoln (AR). These are precisely the individuals opponents of the EFCA are counting on to stop passage of this legislation.

Mary Landrieu

All three, as well as a few others, each said almost exactly the same thing when announcing their decision to prevent a Republican filibuster. They said they voted for the bill so it could be fully debated but they did not necessarily support the bill the way it is currently structured.

If these Senators take the same position on EFCA, it will pass and become law before we know it.