Health Care

In a session that lasted into the early morning hours, Senate Republicans found violations in two provisions of the health care bill, forcing it back to the House for another vote. Democrats say they expect the House to approve it quickly.

The GOP -- which has vowed to use every parliamentary tool available to undermine the recently enacted health care reform law -- launched its attempt to amend or kill legislation expanding the new law in a Senate session that finally adjourned at 2:45 a.m. Thursday.

The Senate plans to reconvene at 9:45 a.m. to consider other GOP amendments, which also are designed to force Democrats to cast unpopular votes in the run-up to November's midterm elections.

Senate Democrats easily defeated the first of 29 amendments introduced by Republicans, which challenged provisions in the bill such as those involving changes to Medicare funding.

Also defeated were attempts to send the measure to committee for reconsideration -- which would effectively kill it -- and other amendments intended to strip provisions from the bill.