Sen. Reid: Opposition to health procedural vote is 'Orwellian'

Opponents of today's motion to proceed on healthcare legislation who are pressuring others to vote no are practicing "Orwellian" tactics, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Saturday. 

Reid appeared to take a shot at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who spoke right before him.

"Now he said, anyone who votes for this is going to have a lot of explaining to do," Reid said during his floor speech today. "Now that is really Orwellian. That is Orwellian. Have a lot of explaining to do if they allow a debate to continue?"

Reid urged senators to support the motion to proceed scheduled for 8 p.m., saying that is only a motion to continue debate, not a vote for the legislation itself. 

"All were asking today is to have a debate on it. I mean, why would anyone be afraid in supposedly the greatest debating society in the world to debate healthcare," he said. "What are they afraid of?"

Reid may have aimed his remarks at the two remaining Democratic holdouts on the motion that needs 60 votes to pass.

Sens. Mary Landrieu (La.) and Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) have not yet indicated whether or not they will vote for the motion. The two centrist senators have expressed objections with certain portions of the bill, such as healthcare provisions aimed at small business, the cost of the bill and the public option.

Landrieu said Friday that she would reveal her vote on Saturday morning. She appeared to be leaning toward voting yes in remarks on Friday.

"His rambling argument was hard to understand but he didn’t seem to rebut any of the Republican leader’s charges that the bill raises premiums, increases taxes and slashes Medicare," a senior GOP aide said of the speech.

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