Harrisburg, Pa. - Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and Arlen Specter say they intend to vote in favor of the current health care reform proposal in the Senate.

The vote is scheduled to take place Saturday night and would enable the measure to be brought to the floor for what promises to be extended debate. The vote does not mean final passage of the measure.

Specter says the bill is a very, very good start that is obviously going to be amended. Specter said he hopes the finished bill is one that is strong on prevention. "I disagree with the recent recommendations to cut back on mammogram screenings or pap smears," the Senator said on Friday.

"I think that early detection is vital and well worth the cost. I can tell you from my personal experience, an MRI detected a brain tumor the size of a golf ball between my skull and my brain back in 1993. And it could been a very, very serious matter had that early detection not occur," Specter added.

Casey says the bill as it stands now preserves patient choice and rewards doctors for giving patients better care. He says it also helps older Americans by strengthening Medicare and closing the gap in coverage for prescription drugs.

"However, there are important issues that need additional work," he said. "Consistent with the Hyde amendment, I believe we should continue to ensure that no federal funds are used to pay for abortion or to cover the costs of any health plan that includes abortion. This will require more work as the bill is debated on the Senate floor during the next several weeks."

 

 

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