Vote-a-rama takes over Capitol Hill

(CNN) - As the Senate finished its "vote-a-rama" dealing with a number of Republican amendments to the health care bill "fixes," senators have had to stay close to the chamber. The votes were coming in short intervals, meaning that meetings with constituents and interest advocates were sometimes held in the Capitol hallways.

That's where we caught up with Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania, whose take on the rat-a-tat nature of the votes is mixed. "You can still get work done," Casey said, noting that during budget reconciliation time, there are also a quick series of votes. "One of the benefits of it is you spend a lot more time with your colleagues than you do" in normal days.

Casey thinks it is a good way to learn more about fellow senators than times as "ships passing in the night."

He calls the decision by Republicans to offer a flood of amendments "a game" though within the technical rights of GOP senators. "It's kind of hard to make case that you want to improve a bill that you're adamantly opposed to," he said.

"How can you say that you're trying to make something better that you oppose?"

Casey joined other anti-abortion rights Democrats at the White House Wednesday when President Obama signed an executive order re-affirming that no federal funds can be used for abortion services or coverage. That commitment from the president, in the midst of negotiations with the House, swayed enough votes for final passage on Sunday.

"I didn't read anything into" the fact the White House did not allow coverage of the signing inside the Oval Office and only released an official photo of the event. Rather than feeling it was an attempt to keep the event low-key, Casey said the signing was "a demonstration of [Obama's] integrity and his character; and ... his continuing efforts to achieve common ground."