Senators Attempt to Add Amendments to Health Reform Bill

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) introduced an amendment that would send the Senate bill "back to the Finance Committee with instructions to report the bill to the Senate without these irresponsible cuts" to Medicare, he said. Slashing Medicare by nearly $500 billion "to create a new federal healthcare entitlement is not healthcare reform," he added.

Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) also introduced an amendment he said would "protect and ensure healthcare coverage for low income children." The amendment would continue full funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through 2019, ensure affordable coverage and high-quality benefits for children and make it easier for families to enroll in the program.

"We have had some victories in the effort to prevent the dismantling of CHIP, but there is more work to do in order to preserve and improve health care coverage for children," he said.