Reid on Public Option: ‘It’s not done yet’
21 October 2009 9:08 am by Taylor Marsh
As Dylan Ratigan begins “Morning Meeting,” he starts out by highlighting that the House Judiciary Committee votes today on an amendment that would repeal the anti-trust exemption, which would end the health insurers monopoly that has been in place since 1945.
Where does the public option stand today? As things get down to the wire, all the pressure you have put on Democrats is coming to bear. However, Majority Leader Reid still hasn’t decided what to do. There should be no question, but Mr. Reid isn’t exactly known for his decisive leadership, now is he?
Reid is no Speaker Pelosi, that’s for sure. The Hill reports:
The plan, called the “robust” option or “Medicare Plus 5” in the jargon that has emerged on Capitol Hill, ties provider reimbursement rates to Medicare, adding 5 percent. Leaders are planning to roll the bill out next week, and are hoping to vote the first week in November.
While Reid dithers:
On Tuesday night, in a closed-door session with rank-and-file Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) said she is close to counting 218 votes for a public plan linked to Medicare rates, the version preferred by liberals in both chambers, according to Democrats attending the meeting. But Pelosi said a final decision will not be made until Democrats meet again Wednesday. New estimates show that the House could construct a package with a “robust” public option for about $871 billion over the next decade, according to a Democratic source.
Senate liberals are seeking to convince Reid that the public option has more support than the Finance Committee’s votes suggested. And as the majority leader prepares to release a combined bill as soon as Friday, he is canvassing moderate Democrats to determine how much leeway he may have.
[...] … Reid told reporters Tuesday that talks are ongoing. “I’ve had a number of meetings in my office dealing with Democrats and Republicans on the public option,” he said. When the negotiations conclude in the coming days, “I will have made a decision as to what we’re going to do with the public option. It’s not done yet.”
