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Snowe: Baucus Bill "Moves in the Right Direction"
Brian Beutler | September 16, 2009, 2:26PM
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Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) says that the Finance Committee's health care draft represents a step "in the right direction," but warns that "a number of issues still need to be addressed -- including cost assumptions and ultimate affordability to both consumers and the government as well as ensuring appropriate competition in the health insurance exchange."
What she ultimately decides to do will likely depend on how the bill changes during hearings next week. But for now, Democrats aren't particularly optimistic. You can read her entire statement below the fold.
"This is a first step in the process and those of us as members of the bipartisan Group of 6 fully intend to keep meeting, moving forward and continuing to work with the Chairman during the committee process toward crafting a bill that I, and hopefully other Republican members of the Finance Committee, can support. I believe the Chairman's legislation moves in the right direction away from a government-run system contained in bills that have passed other Congressional committees, but a number of issues still need to be addressed -- including cost assumptions and ultimate affordability to both consumers and the government as well as ensuring appropriate competition in the health insurance exchange.
"Moreover, I have repeatedly insisted that Committee Members are given sufficient time to read the legislation - and for the Congressional Budget Office to provide its cost projections - given the monumental complexity of this issue. As one of three Republicans in the Group of 6, I have appreciated the Chairman's leadership of the only bipartisan effort in any committee in either the House or Senate, which has laid real and substantial groundwork for bipartisan cooperation during this ongoing process - and I will continue to work toward that goal as the committee continues its deliberations."
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Indie Pro
September 16, 2009 2:31 PM
Please, don't let her total lack of support affect her ability to stall the bill in committee. I mean, really!!
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trblmkr
September 16, 2009 4:33 PM in reply to Indie Pro
Would the raucous Baucus Caucus mock us, shock us or talk us to death?
Would Snowe know "no" is no go fo' sho'?
Would Reid indeed cede the deed we need to succeed?
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Cy Guy
September 16, 2009 2:41 PM
"a number of issues still need to be addressed -- including cost assumptions and ultimate affordability to both consumers and the government as well as ensuring appropriate competition in the health insurance exchange."
Dear Sen. Snowe, the easiest, most effective way to address ALL three of these concerns is to replace (or supplement) the co-ops in the Baucus bill with a strong public option.
If these really are your concerns, then why aren't supporting the public option?
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CT Voter
September 16, 2009 2:41 PM
Shorter Snowe: blah, blah, blah, NO.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
September 16, 2009 2:56 PM in reply to CT Voter
Lol!
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Walter Mitty
September 16, 2009 3:03 PM
It's utterly ridiculous that only one persons opinion matters on this whole issue. Kick her to the curb and move on for crying out loud. If her ego gets any bigger the senate will have to install a retractable roof.
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Davis_X_Machina
September 16, 2009 3:26 PM in reply to Walter Mitty
Kick her to the curb and move on for crying out loud.
59
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obamaman
September 16, 2009 3:33 PM in reply to Davis_X_Machina
59
Reconciliation
51
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Cy Guy
September 17, 2009 5:03 PM in reply to obamaman
With 99 Senators the magic number is 50 for reconciliation.
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Cy Guy
September 17, 2009 5:06 PM in reply to Cy Guy
And if Byrd can't get to the floor to vote, or if a Conserva-Dem can only be persuaded to hold his tongue and not voting instead of holding his nose and voting for the bill, then the magic number is only 49 with Biden casting the tiebreaker.
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billyfd
September 16, 2009 3:26 PM
She will never vote for a bill that includes a public option, she has been saying that for two months. But the question she has not answered (and the one she is never asked by the media) is will she vote for cloture on a senate bill that has a public option. Bottom line is we do not need her yes vote on a public option bill (nor any of the blue dogs for that matter) -- we need her yes vote on cloture.
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obamaman
September 16, 2009 3:32 PM in reply to billyfd
um, RECONCILIATION
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rbeats
September 16, 2009 3:30 PM
We do all realize we are debating how, in the 21st century, in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, how to make the most money on the sickness and despair of our fellow citizens?
This country is a joke.
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impik
September 16, 2009 3:30 PM
No, it doesn't matter. It's a terrible bill and it will only get worse if she's to support it.
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bluebell
September 16, 2009 5:57 PM in reply to impik
Yes, this would be the bill that fines you several thousand dollars if you can't afford to both pay 13% of your income on insurance extortion not counting co-pays and deductibles and of course they can charge you even more money if you happen not to be 20 years old.
Snowe isn't the problem.
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calchala
September 16, 2009 3:33 PM
Rockefeller is going to the WH today, perhaps they will discuss this. The fact remains though, we don't have 60 votes and Reconciliation is unworkable. We need at least one republican vote.
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DragonFlyEye
September 16, 2009 3:36 PM
What a surprise! Give Olympia Snow what she wants and she wants.... a little bit more! First, it was that she'd never support the Public Option, now she won't support the bill even without it because it's only a "Step in the right direction."
Why not start advertising in her district about the need for health care reform? Pressure her to at least let the legislation past a filibuster? Playing nice isn't working.
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sunnysteve
September 16, 2009 3:37 PM
A kangaroo jumping at the moon is moving in the right direction.
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obamaman
September 16, 2009 3:41 PM
The fact remains though, we don't have 60 votes and Reconciliation is unworkable.
Why? Because Kent Conrad says so?
Repubs had no problems making it work to pass whatever they damn well pleased.
The only thing that is clear to me is that real reform is impossible without using reconciliation. Period.
Screw the Repubs, they don't want real reform, NONE OF THEM.
And screw Baucus, Conrad, Nelson, Bayh and Lieberman while we're at it. We can still lose another 3 or 4 DINOs and pass it with 50 + Biden. If I wanted the minority Repubs to call the shots, I would have voted to keep them in the majority with a Repub president. What the hell did we just vote for?
Pass real reform or don't bother with this dog and pony show. If they pass anything like this Baucus joke of a bill, the Dems will lose what could have been a permanent majority even faster than the Repubs did, and rightfully so.
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howie
September 16, 2009 4:01 PM
"I'll give you health care, my pretty!"
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TPMReaderHG
September 16, 2009 6:01 PM
They can keep changing things until they have Snowe’s vote, and still, no other Republicans will vote for it.
I say create the best bill that can be passed with 50 votes and then either use the reconciliation process or make the Republican actually filibuster. How many 24 hour days will the Republicans be able to stand up there and obstruct passage before 60 senators are willing to vote for cloture? If the Senate is going to keep the filibuster, they ought to make them actually do it rather than just say “filibuster”.
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acf_ma
September 16, 2009 6:31 PM
Pandering to her in search of her vote diminished the stimulus bill, now people think we should do it again? She says the Baucus bill moves in the right direction. Right is the operative word, as in right wing, or conservative, certainly not correct. I believe in bipartisan efforts, and working together to solve common problems, but this is not that at all. This is come in my direction, or nothing at all.
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