Via Kos, we learn that right wing Senator Tom Coburn has put a hold on legislation that would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to people who have genetic predispositions to certain diseases or conditions. It’s hard to see why anyone would be against this. Even Coburn says he isn’t against it, he just has some problems with the bill that make no sense.
You remember holds, don’t you. A hold is what Chris Dodd put on the FISA bill. It announces an intent to filibuster, a threat that is utterly meaningless unless you have 39 other senators willing to back you up. Last year a similar bill passed the Senate 98-0, so it’s hard to see how Coburn could successfully stall the bill.
You’re probably saying to yourself: Well, there’s no way Harry Reid would honor Coburn’s hold, not after he disregarded Chris’s hold, and not after he disregarded Ron Wyden’s hold. But you’d be wrong, because Reid is, in fact, honoring Coburn’s hold, at least he is right now.
This is the sort of thing designed to make Democrats see red. Reid refused to honor a hold on legislation he claims to oppose; then he allows Coburn to stall a bill that even Republicans support. If the Democrats were going to use the incident to make political hay it might be somewhat justified, but that’s not the Democratic way. Coburn is a serial abuser of the hold privilege, but it doesn’t seem to bother Reid. He saves his wrath for fellow Democrats.
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