McConnell predicts lengthy debate on health bill

The Senate will have an "extensive" debate on its healthcare reform legislation, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday.

"We'll have an extensive debate," McConnell said on CNN's "State of the Union" the morning after the upper chamber passed its first procedural vote on healthcare reform legislation. "The Senate doesn't do things quickly."

McConnell said that the Senate would move significantly slower than the House in its debate of healthcare reform legislation. He noted that the Senate spent four weeks on a farm bill and eight weeks on an energy bill in the last session.

The minority leader's comments come as Democratic leaders are working to gain passage of the bill before the Christmas recess. But the Senate will have to work quickly to accomplish the goal. The Senate is not in session for Thanksgiving recess and will continue the debate starting the week of Nov. 30, giving them less than a month to pass the bill before Christmas.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and other leaders have said they would keep the Senate in session until the last minute in order to pass the bill. Democrats would like to avoid holding a vote on the bill in 2010, an election year.

McConnell did not reveal much of the Republican's strategy to stall the debate, but said that the GOP would like to implement a number of incremental reforms such as tort reform, wellness programs, and equalizing the tax code for healthcare companies. McConnell said the Republicans would not offer a sweeping bill like the Democrats have.

"Don't hold your breath, we are not planning on having a 2,000 page bill," said McConnell.

After conceding that the Democrats have the votes right now to pass the bill on Saturday, McConnell repeated his words Sunday but said that centrist Democrats could still derail the bill at a future point in the debate.

"They have 60 votes in the Senate, you would tihnk they might be able to do this," he said, but added that there are a "number" of Democratic senators who "are listening to the American people."