As I mentioned last week, the Senate Finance Committee, which is currently working on one of the health care reform bills (often called the Baucus bill, after the committee chairman), held a long debate on amendments which would add a public health insurance option to the bill. I'm disappointed to report that these amendments failed 10-13 (3 Dems voted with the Republicans).
That's right. Even though all the Republicans on the committee voted against the public option amendments, it was the Democrats who killed it. Someone needs to show these "scum-sucking, insurance industry-loving weasels" (as the Daily Kos has appropriately labeled them) that their constituents support the public option:
Put into words: although the Senate Finance Committee defeated the public option, nearly 6 million more Americans voted for the 10 senators who supported it than the 13 senators who opposed it.
Another way of saying it: anyone who claims the public option doesn't have public support is full of bull.
Senator Tom Harkin isn't deterred:
So what's next?
A public health insurance option has been passed by four out of five committees in Congress dealing with health care. The next time the public health insurance option will come up for consideration is when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid merges the Baucus bill with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee bill.
If a public option is not added on the Senate floor, it could also wind up in the bill once the Congress merges the Senate and the House bills. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeated her assurance that the House bill will have a public option.
It's still early in the game, and as Yogi said, it ain't over 'til it's over.
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