BeltwayBlips - Latest Joe Lieberman News Articles

Durbin open to changing public option to pass health care bill

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:25:36 +0000

Washington (CNN) - The Senate's second-ranking Democrat said Sunday he was open to changing the government-run public health insurance option in the chamber's health care bill to ensure that the measure passes. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate assistant majority leader, said on the NBC program "Meet the Press" that the goal is to inject competition into the health insurance market in order to bring down costs and expand coverage to people unable to afford coverage now. The public option is the most controversial provision in the $848 billion bill unanimously opposed by Republicans. Several conservative and moderate Democrats also have said they will oppose a final bill that includes the public option. Asked about a possible compromise that would trigger a public option in the future if specific thresholds for coverage and costs go unmet, Durbin said there were "many variations on the theme." "We are open because we want to pass the bill," Durbin said. The Senate voted ...

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Lieberman opens Hill's first public hearing on Fort Hood

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:20:50 +0000

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman gaveled into session Capitol Hill's first public hearing on the Fort Hood attack, promising Thursday to run his investigation from exactly where he sat on the dais -- the center.

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Reid: Crucial vote Saturday

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:28:00 +0000

From NBC's Ken Strickland Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today said the crucial vote to bring the legislation to the floor will happen "sometime" Saturday. But he was uncertain he had to 60 votes required to start debate. "We'll find out when the votes are taken," he said during a Q & A with reporters at a rally with supporters. Assuming Reid can get the bill to the floor, he will face other 60 vote thresholds, including one for final passage. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) made it clear he will filibuster the final passage of a bill that contained any form of a public option. Responding to a question about his thin margin for error, Reid said he's had recent conversation with Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins , both from Maine. ...( read more )

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Congress opens investigation into Fort Hood massacre

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:16:44 +0000

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A key congressional committee opened its investigation Thursday into the November 5 Fort Hood shootings with a pledge to find out if authorities failed to "connect the dots" and could have prevented the attack. The head of the committee promised the inquiry would not interfere with a separate investigation into the shootings being conducted by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Attorney General Eric Holder. "Their investigation looks backward and is punitive. Ours looks forward and is preventive," said Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Connecticut, Authorities say Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army psychiatrist, opened fire at a military processing center at Fort Hood Army Post, killing 13 people. Dozens of others were wounded. Wary of anti-Muslim backlash, Lieberman said the committee will carry out its investigation "with respect for the thousands of Muslim Americans who are serving in the American military with honor and the ...

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Lieberman slams public option; taunts critics

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:20:34 +0000

Lieberman’s threat to filibuster any health care bill with a public option could kill health reform this year.

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Lieberman slams public option; taunts critics (Politico)

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:20:00 +0000

Politico - Sen. Joe Lieberman’s threat to filibuster any health care bill with a public option could kill health reform this year — and embolden Democratic challengers who’d like to send him packing in 2012.

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Ft. Hood hearing tomorrow

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:46:00 +0000

From NBC's Amna Nawaz Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) confirmed in a press conference today, that their Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee investigation into the shootings at Fort Hood will continue, beginning with a hearing tomorrow. Lieberman said he supports the military and Justice Department investigations into the shootings, and looks forward to the result of John Brennan's report on intelligence sharing to President Obama , but "that does not mean the rest of us can just sit back and watch." The Fort Hood shooting, he said, he believes was a terrorist attack, "the most destructive terrorist attack on America since 9/11." He said Congress has a constitutional responsibility to oversee the operations of the Executive Branch, and that the committee's investigation would focus on answering two questions: ...( read more )

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Lieberman pushes Ft. Hood inquiry

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:13:10 +0000

Connecticut independent says Senate can't sit back for administration to investigate the shootings.

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Democrats Worry Joe Lieberman Could Sink Health Care

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0000

The Democratic Party is trying to grin and bear the roguish independent Joe Lieberman in their caucus (they do need his vote on health care), but it is getting harder and harder

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Democrats Worry Joe Lieberman Could Sink Health Care

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:40:00 +0000

The party is trying to grin and bear the roguish Independent in their caucus (they do need his vote) but it is getting harder and harder

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Police remove activists trying to occupy Lieberman's office

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:00:03 +0000

Washington (CNN) - Police arrested six demonstrators Tuesday inside the Capitol Hill office of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut), after a group protesting his views on health-care legislation refused to leave. Lieberman was not there at the time. A group calling itself the "Mobilization for Health Care for All" littered the floor and hallway with symbolic "money," and said campaign donations to Lieberman by the insurance industry have affected his judgment of health-care legislation. The group is upset that Lieberman refuses to support the "public option," that they believe would reduce the number of people without health-care insurance. Lieberman later denied that his view has been affected by political support from the insurance industry. "I'm for health insurance reform," he told CNN, "I don't want however, as part of that to create another large, government-run insurance company. We can't afford it, we're already deeply in debt, the taxpayers can't afford it, our government can't ...

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Connecticut governor opts against 2010 re-election bid

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 22:51:02 +0000

New York (CNN) – Republican Gov. Jodi Rell of Connecticut will not seek re-election, according to spokesperson Rich Harris. Rell, 63, was the first Republican woman to be elected governor of Connecticut. Rell, who took office in 2007, still enjoys a relatively high approval rating in her state. "Nearly six out of 10 people approve of the job Rell is doing as governor, according to the most recent state public opinion survey, which was conducted in September," according to CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser. "While that's down about 15 points from earlier this year, most likely due to Connecticut's budget problems, it's still a number any incumbent politician would be happy to have." Democrat Ned Lamont, who defeated Sen. Joe Lieberman in the 2006 Democratic Senate primary but lost to him in the general election, is currently exploring a potential gubernatorial run. (Updated 7:30 pm ET with additional information)

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