APNewsBreak: Senate Democrats, White House seek separate bill to pay for doctor fees

September 21st, 2009 Mass. Senate again delays Kennedy succession billBOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate is again delaying debate on a bill allowing the governor to appoint an interim replacement for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Edward Kennedy.

September 16th, 2009 White House: Senate health bill a 'building block'WASHINGTON — The White House says a health care reform bill from a key Senate committee is "an important building block" in getting closer to comprehensive health care reform. Sen. Max Baucus released the long-awaited version of the bill from his Senate Finance committee Wednesday.

September 15th, 2009 Rangel: Health bill harder after Obama speechWASHINGTON — A key House committee chairman says proposals President Barack Obama set out in his health care speech are causing problems for Democrats trying to finalize health legislation in the House. Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel of New York says House Democrats would have to slash subsidies to the poor to get their bill to the $900 billion, 10-year price tag Obama specified.

August 4th, 2009 Reid: Democratic senators united on health careWASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says his party's caucus has "absolute unity" on the need to pass health care reform this year. The Nevadan, joined by other lawmakers, spoke to reporters Tuesday afternoon on a White House driveway after Senate Democrats met over lunch with President Barack Obama.

August 3rd, 2009 Obama to meet with Democratic senatorsWASHINGTON — Senate Democrats will meet with President Obama at the White House on Tuesday. Spokesman Robert Gibbs says the meeting is to discuss what has been accomplished during the first six months of the Obama administration, and the president's priorities going forward.

July 21st, 2009 Budget chief: Docs fees not paid for in Obama billWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's pledge to make sure health care legislation is fully paid for excludes $245 billion to raise fees for doctors treating Medicare patients, a senior administration official said Tuesday. Peter Orszag, the budget director, said the administration always had assumed the money would be spent to prevent a cut of more than 20 percent in doctor fees that is scheduled to take effect.

July 16th, 2009 Democrats push quicker access to health coverageWASHINGTON — House Democrats want to guarantee people with pre-existing health conditions faster access to insurance coverage. Democrats on the Education and Labor Committee passed the amendment as they got to work Thursday on their portion of a sweeping health overhaul bill.

July 9th, 2009 House Dems likely to alter intel billWASHINGTON — Stymied by a White House veto threat, House Democrats say they will work with the Obama administration to soften a legislative provision that would broaden access to secret intelligence briefings. Democrats on the intelligence committee say that an intelligence authorization bill containing the controversial provision would likely pass the House intact but would be adjusted in negotiations with the White House and the Senate.

June 29th, 2009 White House confident Senate will pass energy billWASHINGTON — The White House says it's confident that the Senate will pass comprehensive energy legislation. President Barack Obama's top energy adviser, Carol Browner, made the comment in an interview with a small group of reporters.

June 27th, 2009 Obama: Energy bill is bold stepWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is calling House passage of an energy bill "a bold and necessary step.' And he says it holds promise for creating new industries and millions of new jobs. Obama says that the bill will reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and decrease the release of pollutants that lead to global warming.

June 25th, 2009 White House likes chances on House energy billWASHINGTON — The White House says it likes its chances as the climate bill heads toward a House vote. President Barack Obama is calling lawmakers to seek their support and he spoke in the Rose Garden on Thursday to build momentum.

June 12th, 2009 NY Senate leadership crisis lingersALBANY, N.Y. — A leadership crisis in the New York Senate continues after a day of legal maneuvering and confusion in the Capitol.

June 10th, 2009 NY Senate Dems seek court order against coalitionALBANY, N.Y. — New York state Democratic Senate leader Malcolm Smith is seeking a temporary court order to stop Senate Republicans and two dissident Democrats from taking power in a surprise move that's left Albany reeling.

May 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to block President Barack Obama's funding request to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and prohibited the transfer of any detainees to American soil. The 90-6 vote was a setback to Obama's plans to close the facility by January 2010 and relocate the 240 detainees currently at the camp, the US Navy base in Cuba.

April 30th, 2009 Senate defeats anti-foreclosure billWASHINGTON — With President Barack Obama on the sidelines, the Senate defeated his promise of a bankruptcy court refuge for hundreds of thousands of families about to lose their homes to foreclosure. The Senate voted 45-51 against the legislation, which would have let debt-ridden homeowners seek mortgage relief in bankruptcy court.