21 Jan, 2010, America

The US president, Barack Obama indicated that he is willing to make some concessions so as to pass a bill to reform the healthcare after the Republican victory in a senate election in Massachusetts. The victory of Scott Brown removed the Democratic Party’s supermajority of 60 senate seats that would have allowed them to overcome the procedural hurdles which Republicans may use to scupper any bill.

Obama called the senators from both sides of the political divide to agree on the basic issues in the healthcare plan. Brown has promised to use his position as the 41st Republican vote so as to kill off the healthcare changes pushed forward by Obama, the initial versions on which have been narrowly passed in votes in the senate and the House of Representatives. The various versions must be reconciled in vote in every chamber of congress before being signed off by Obama.

Brown has replaced Edward Kennedy, the Democrat who held the Massachusetts seat for almost 47 years who died in August due to brain cancer. Paul Kirk, the Democrat was appointed by the state’s governor in September so as to occupy Kennedy’s seat and will remain in the senate until Brown gets sworn in.