Lincoln opposes fast-track health bill

A moderate Democrat insisted Tuesday she remained opposed to pushing a health care bill through the Senate with a simple majority vote, despite saying she wanted to see what was in the legislation.

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas Democrat, who is facing a more liberal Democratic primary challenger as well as GOP opposition, said those comments didn’t represent a change of heart on her stance against the controversial majority-vote procedure known as “reconciliation.”

“I don’t support reconciliation. All I said was I want to see what’s in it,” M rs. Lincoln told reporters outside the Senate floor. She walked quickly into a senators-only area without elaborating.

Mrs. Lincoln earlier answered two questions on her position on reconciliation by saying she wanted to see what was in the legislation — without reiterating that she opposed the procedure.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which hopes to win Mrs. Lincoln’s Senate seat this fall, quickly seized on those remarks to contend that “Lincoln’s shifting positions and constant equivocations are completely politically motivated.”

Democratic leaders are looking at a two-step approach to pass President Obama’s sweeping health care overhaul in the next several weeks. The House would approve the Senate-passed health bill from last year, despite House Democrats’ opposition to several of its provisions. Both houses then would follow by approving a companion measure to make changes to the Senate bill. The companion measure could pass under rules allowing for a simple majority vote in the Senate, thereby skirting Republican opposition — the process called “reconciliation.”

Weeks ago, Mrs. Lincoln issued a statement saying she opposed that approach. One of the more endangered incumbents, she recently drew a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in the state’s May 18 primary.

Mr. Halter has said he supports passing health care with a simple majority, a position he repeated through his campaign’s Twitter feed Tuesday, moments after Mrs. Lincoln released a statement reiterating her opposition to the approach.

Eight Republicans are running for the party’s nomination for the Senate seat.

Associated Press writer Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report.