Sam Johnson takes aim at vote-less passage of Senate health bill Today US Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) took aim at the possibility of the vote-less passage of healthcare reform and called for an up or down vote on the $875 billion measure that doles out millions of dollars in special favors for Senators. The comprehensive healthcare bill that passed the Senate included a $300 million Medicare payout to Louisiana, designed to secure the vote of Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), dubbed the Louisiana Purchase. In addition, Democrat Senator Ben Nelson received special treatment for his state with the so-called Cornhusker Kickback that carves out Nebraska from increased Medicaid costs charging the taxpayer credit card $100 million. Johnson stresses that these special deals to garner votes have no business in a healthcare reform bill. Today The Washington Post, in an article titled House may try to pass Senate health-care bill without voting on it explained the so-called vote-less passage. After laying the groundwork for a decisive vote this week on the Senate’s health-care bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Monday that she might attempt to pass the measure without having members vote on it. (Emphasis added) Instead, Pelosi (D-Calif.) would rely on a procedural sleight of hand: The House would vote on a more popular package of fixes to the Senate bill; under the House rule for that vote, passage would signify that lawmakers deem the health-care bill to …