Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Sevice
The Senate Finance Committee approved the America’s Healthy Future Act Tuesday with a 14-9 vote.

The legislation’s sole Republican vote came from Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine.), who has been pursued heavily by Democrats as a possible ally.

All Democrats on the committee voted in favor of the bill, including Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.), who had previously expressed reservations with the bill.

“There is no way in its present form that I will vote for it, unless during the amendment process it is changed in vast amounts,” Rockefeller said mid-September.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) says that the use high speed rail is considerably more fuel efficient than air travel or car travel. He goes on to say that the expansion of the U.S. rail system is inevitable and part of “America’s destiny” (0:52)

 

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Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) speaks with Ellen Ratner about his mother’s death from Alzheimer’s Disease. Senator Rockefeller’s wife’s father also suffers from Alzheimer’s, and the Senator and his wife will be receiving The Kennedy Award from the Alzheimer’s Association. Rockefeller talks about the current state of Alzheimer’s research. (7:39)

 

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Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, for Talk Radio News Service.

Immediately following today’s deliberations on the Senate floor, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) says Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass) is always present, whether he is on the floor or not.
Rockefeller points out that the Health Information Technology provision was not eliminated, but cut from seven billion dollars to five billion dollars.
Asked about the “Buy American” provision, he discusses the great harm to West Virginia following NAFTA.
He acknowledges to another reporter that the calls to his office are predominantly against the stimulus bill. He believes that more opportunity to discuss the merits of the bill with his constituents, or visible results, would reverse that trend.

 

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