It has been called a Christmas miracle. But it is not quite there yet. Let’s hope the Senate can do the right thing.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 has been passed by the House but is now being filibustered in the Senate. The bill (HR 847) was passed by the House on September 29, 2010 and passed on to the Senate. Well it seems the Senate was rather busy and managed to read it twice by the middle of November and put it on the calendar and finally considered it on December 6. Then it was filibustered and on December 9 they voted to end the filibuster but that voted failed.

This is the recent legislative history accord to Thomas, Library of Congress

9/29/2010:
Received in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
11/15/2010:
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 641.
12/6/2010:
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (consideration: CR S8552)
12/6/2010:
Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the bill presented in Senate. (consideration: CR S8552; text: CR S8552)
12/9/2010:
Cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 57 – 42. Record Vote Number: 269. (consideration: CR S8668-8669; text: CR S8669)
12/9/2010:
Motion by Senator Reid to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to the bill (Roll Call Vote No. 269) made in Senate. (consideration: CR S8669)

These are the votes (Roll Call Vote No. 269 to invoke cloture) according to Thomas

Grouped By Vote Position
YEAs —57
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Conrad (D-ND)
Coons (D-DE)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Manchin (D-WV)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Specter (D-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs —42
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brown (R-MA)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kirk (R-IL)
Kyl (R-AZ)
LeMieux (R-FL)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Reid (D-NV)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Snowe (R-ME)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Wicker (R-MS)

Not Voting – 1
Brownback (R-KS)

Does anyone see a pattern here?

I don’t know when they will act but the NY Senators are optimistic. I hope the Senate does do the right thing. Here is a more complete story on this sad tale with the possible happy ending by ABC News

Notes added to post: I suspect I’ll be adding a bunch of notes to reflect recent events and posts I come across. Often they will be links to recent comments on news but sometimes a note from me will be here.

1. PoliticusUSA
2. Talking Points Memo
3. GOP blockade
4. Where is the outrage
5. FireDogLake “…Hey, Jon Stewart…”
6. Sen. Tom Coburn to block bill NPR
7. Sen. Coburn again

Update:
They did reach a compromise. It looks like the lame-duck Congress is actually reaching some agreements. Wer’ll have to see how the new congress does in 2011.