Pelosi to Senate: I don’t have the votes

Democrats’ last hope of forcing through President Obama’s massive government healthcare overhaul by passing the Senate’s version of reform in the House has hit a road block: House Democrats will not vote for it.  After seeing Ted Kennedy’s (D-Mass.) seat go to a Republican in the bluest of blue states, many House Democrats fear that a similar fate awaits them in November.  According to the Associated Press:

Many rank-and-file Democrats said the stunning defeat in this week’s Massachusetts special election – in which Republicans captured the Senate seat held for decades by the late Edward M. Kennedy – meant it was time to seek more modest health legislation.

According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.), her colleagues in the House will not support the Senate bill:

In its present form without any changes I don’t think it’s possible to pass the Senate bill in the House.  I don’t see the votes for it at this time.

Congressman Michael Arcuri (D-NY) seconded this notion, stating:

The mega bills are dead. If we didn’t see what happened Tuesday night, we have blinders on.

On Tuesday night, the people of Massachusetts made one thing clear: Americans do not want President Obama’s version healthcare reform.  We do not want closed door meetings and sweetheart deals.  We do not tax hikes and federal mandates.  We do not want higher premiums and more government intrusion.

Americans want common sense reforms that lower costs, provide real competition and increase the quality of care. 

It is time for congressional Democrats and the President to throw out their two thousand page bills and start over from scratch.