President Bush Vetoes Physician Payment Fix: Take Action Now to Urge Congressional Override

July 15, 2008 – Today, President Bush vetoed legislation H.R. 6331, which would stop the 10.6 percent reduction in Medicare physician fees scheduled for implementation on July 1 and would provide a 1.1 percent increase for calendar year 2009.

On June 26, the House passed this legislation by an overwhelming margin, with 355 members voting in favor of the legislation and only 59 opposing it. On July 9, the Senate passed the bill with a final vote of 69 to 30, giving the legislation enough votes to override a White House veto if all those who supported the bill initially continue to do so.

Despite these margins, it remains unclear whether or not enough members of the House and Senate would be willing to cross the President and vote to override his veto. Voting is scheduled to begin this afternoon, and grassroots advocacy is needed immediately to urge all Senators, particularly in locations where the vote is close, to override President Bush's veto and enact this legislation without delay. Please visit the ASH Advocacy Center to send an e-mail to your Senators now.