Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate struggled on Monday to move forward on a sweeping healthcare overhaul sought by President Barack Obama in the face of opposition from a frequent irritant — Joe Lieberman.
As the Senate opened a make-or-break week for healthcare, Senator Lieberman’s threat to join Republicans in blocking the bill complicated Democratic efforts to gather the 60 votes needed to overcome Republican opposition.
Obama invited all 60 members of the Senate Democratic caucus to the White House on Tuesday to discuss a way to reach agreement, party sources said.