Defeat of House smallpox bill may spur bipartisan effort

Republicans not only failed to get the necessary two-thirds of the House to pass the bill, but also fell short of a simple majority.

Throughout the day, House Minority Whip Hoyer spoke to Democratic Caucus members as they returned to town for a lengthened workweek. Although moderate Republicans supported the measure, in the end, the compensation plan died in a 206-184 vote.

Democrats were incensed by the process Republicans used to bring the measure to a floor vote under suspension of the rules, which allowed for no amendments. Reps. Lois Capps and Henry Waxman, both D-Calif., had authored a substitute providing more generous compensation that they now hope to incorporate into a bipartisan bill.

Democrats said Monday the defeat of the GOP version would spur work toward a bipartisan solution.

The defeated Republican version, sponsored by Rep. Richard Burr of North Carolina, caps lifetime disability benefits at $262,100, with an annual cap of $50,000. The plan by Capps and Waxman plan does not place a lifetime cap on wage replacement for temporary disability and provides a $75,000 annual cap.

Earlier Monday, Capps and Waxman were joined at an event by healthcare providers who said they were hesitant to get the smallpox vaccine-which may cause severe side effects or even death-until they had greater reassurance from the government.

During floor debate on the bill, House Energy and Commerce Chairman Billy Tauzin, R-La., said the "unusual process" by which the smallpox vaccination program was brought to the floor was necessary to begin vaccinating emergency workers in case of a bioterror attack.

"This is not a labor-union discussion," he said. "This is an emergency."

Arizona, California, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, New York and Vermont suspended smallpox vaccinations after the heart attack deaths of three health care workers.