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Sen. Hagan: 'Closely' Looking At Health Care Bill, Still Worried About Deficit

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Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC)

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Freshman Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) told reporters today she will be "looking very closely" at the health care bill as proposed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

On a conference call with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about rural health care, Hagan reiterated she supports "a backstop option for people that don't have access to employer-sponsored health care."

"I'm going to definitely be looking very closely at this bill to see exactly what's in it," Hagan said. "I am committed to working with my colleagues on a final reform bill that hopefully is going to bring stability and security to American families and is not going to add one dime to our federal deficit."

Reporters also asked about the TPMMuckraker scoop yesterday about Blue Cross mailers asking customers to lobby Hagan to oppose the public option.

Transcript after the jump.

QUESTION: Blue Cross of North Carolina has asked some of its customers to return postcards lobbying you to oppose the public option. I'm wondering if you have noticed that some of the Blue Cross have oppose crossed out and say they want you to support the public option. Have you noticed that?

HAGAN: Yes, I have noticed that, and I've seen different articles about that also.

QUESTION: OK. Do you know what the breakdown is between support and oppose?

HAGAN: You know, I certainly don't.

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7 comments

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October 27, 2009 5:20 PM   

I think to wait and make fair analysis of the CBO estimates make sense. But I hope, reflecting on Bayh and Hagen's statements, I hope they don't use "deficit concerns" as a guise to kill the PO-opt out.

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October 27, 2009 5:25 PM    in reply to kash79

The CBO scoring will show the PO will save money and reduce the deficit. I think all this talk about deficits is just setting themselves up in advance with an excuse to vote for it.

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October 27, 2009 9:48 PM    in reply to mans_best_friend

maybe for bayh and hagan, but less so for lieberman who pretty much said that he won't be believing what CBO has to say.

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October 27, 2009 5:25 PM   

"I'm going to definitely be looking very closely at this bill to see exactly what's in it,"


well three cheers to her. PO may not be worth a damn, as far as, keeping insurance companies honest and being able to keep premiums lower. Might be state based as well.

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October 27, 2009 6:16 PM   

Hagan is odd here. Less than one year into her term, five years away from running for re-election, she really doesn't have to come out as a Deficit Hawk. The DNC, DSCC, Obama and the grassroots all went to bat rather strongly for her against Libby. It's pretty bizzaro that she would even give the GOP and ConservaDems a lifeline rather than just keeping her head down on it. She had to campaign on Healthcare, and something to the *left* of Libby on.

Just wacky. Blanche is one I would get rolling this out. Hagan doesn't need to.

John

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October 27, 2009 6:50 PM    in reply to tosh

No worries. Hagan already voted for the public option in the HELP committee bill.

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October 27, 2009 8:25 PM    in reply to tosh

She was never what you'd call a wild-eyed librul, but, yeah, she's kind of locked in by her HELP vote. I don't think BCBS-NC has as much heft as it thinks it does.

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