The announcement by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) this week that he was submitting a merged health care reform bill with a public option and "opt-out" provision for the states was the impetus for much commentary this week (DM 10582). The question now is if Reid can get enough votes--60 senators, which would likely have to include independents and/or some Republicans--for a filibuster-proof vote.

Reid held another press conference this week with Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT), Max Baucus (D-MT), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). Reid pointed out the senators all came from different places ideologically and geographically, but stand together with a strong belief that now is the time to pass health care legislation. "We're all committed to delivering meaningful reform to a system that's really broken," Reid said. "We all support the public option with a state opt-out as a wise path forward. Our public option isn't a left proposal or a right proposal. This is a consensus, a compromise that represents months of hard work and debate and will benefit all Americans."

Senator Rockefeller then commented, "I've been working on health care for all 25 years I've been here...and what you're struck by is the opportunity we have here to put the momentum for health care in the hands of the people who need it rather than the insurance companies who profit from it."

"I'm so pleased we that have a strong public option in this bill," Senator Dodd concluded. "I commend the leader for that. This is not easy but he struck a balance between the public option and the state opting out. And my hope is we can sustain that. Because I think it's critically important if we are going to bring down those costs, and provide that kind of choice Americans want, the ability to have more choices about what kind of policies they'd like to have cover their needs."

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) stated earlier on the Senate Finance Committee website: "It is time to make our system work better for patients and providers, for small business owners and for our economy...I included a public option in the health reform blueprint I released nearly one year ago, and continue to support any provision, including a public option, that will ensure choice and competition and get the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate. Success should be our threshold and I am going to fight hard for the 60 votes we need to meet that goal this year."

But Senate Finance Committee counterpart Chuck Grassley (R-IA) had criticism for the pending health care legislation: "...some of the supporters of these partisan bills may not want to tell their constituents we all know that as national spending on health care increases, American families will bear the burden in the form of higher premiums," Grassley said. "So let me be very clear, as a result of the current pending health care proposals, most Americans will pay higher premiums for health insurance."

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