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Health Care Negotiations Between Senate, White House Continue Tonight

Brian Beutler | October 20, 2009, 10:06AM

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Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)

Chris Dodd, Harry Reid, Health Care, Max Baucus, Public Option, Senate, Senate Finance Committee, Senate HELP Committee, White House

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The intricate process of turning two very different health care bills into one will continue tonight, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hosts Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Max Baucus (D-MT), and a number of high-level White House officials in his offices tonight.

Last night, Reid spokesman Jim Manley said the health care bill will come to the floor just as soon as a CBO cost estimate is available. Before negotiations got under way in earnest, Reid suggested that the Senate would begin debate on a single piece of legislation on October 26, but aides now caution that we're more likely to see action in the first or second week of November.

Before that time, negotiators will have to make some potentially monumental decisions, including whether or not the bill that comes to the floor will include a public option. We'll keep tabs for you.

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5 comments

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Moose49

October 20, 2009 10:22 AM

Maybe they can take a close look at The Washington Post/ABC News poll that came out today.

It found that a clear 57 to 40 percent majority, Americans support a public option.

It shows that Baucus' lame attempts at bipartisanship are bullshit politics: By a 51 percent to 37 margin, Americans prefer a health carereform plan with a public option that only receives Democratic votes, to a health care reform plan without a public option that receives bipartisan support. I hope Rahm Emanuel reads that closely, too.

It shows that by a 61 percent to 35 percent margin, Americans oppose the Senate Finance Bill's tax on high-cost insurance plans.

And it shows that while President Obama's popularity remains healthy, "'strong approval' among liberal Democrats is down 16 percentage points over the past month." In other words, his willingness -- even eagerness -- to compromise is reducing enthusiasm among the base.

All of this points clearly in one direction: Reid should dispense with these negotiations and just bring the HELP Committee bill to the floor. The Finance Committee bill is not only bad politics -- it's bad policy.

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whoffman

October 20, 2009 10:27 AM

I gotta believe the CBO estimates are a key driver in determining what goes into the final bill. If so, there is no way they can leave the public option out.

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Indie Pro

October 20, 2009 10:33 AM

Before that time, negotiators will have to make some potentially monumental decisions, including whether or not the bill that comes to the floor will include a public option.

and whether it is "good" public option.

and whether to shore up those mandates like the insurance industry asked when they threatened to raise premium rates in those false studies.

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rwc

October 20, 2009 11:39 AM

What's needed is a combination of the Wyden admendment which would give everyone a choice among a wide range of private plans with a strong Medicare-like public option thrown into the mix.

Right now, the vast majority of people with employer-based plans will have no choice; none of the plans, even the stronger House plans, change that.

Of course, what we are going to get is some insurance industry standards reform and some weak trigger or coop option that very few if any will ever get, that the White House and Dems can point to and call a PO to appease their liberal base.

And I still say the WH is the most to blame for this state of affairs. If they were strong-arming in favor of a PO with teeth that most would have access to, I think there would be a good chance of getting it. But I think they cut their deals with insurers, drugmakers and the AMA back in January and we're not likely to get more than some standards reform.

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