With 564 amendments to consider, the Baucus Bill is going to get a workout in committee. Rockefeller wants to strike out the co-ops and include a public option. Schumer wants to get rid of the mandate. Snowe wants a trigger mechanism for the public option. And then there are dozens of little bits to work through. Kerry wants to protect the manufacturers of medical devices. Bill Nelson wants to prevent cuts in Medicare Advantage. Orrin Hatch wants to make all states beginning in ‘U’ exempt from certain provisions of the bill. It all gets started on Tuesday. The key thing to remember is that the composition of the Finance Committee is 13 Democrats and 10 Republicans. Than means any time there are two Democratic defections (without any Republican cross-over), the Republicans are going to win the vote.
It is not known when the Democrats will be able to seat their 60th senator (from Massachusetts) but getting unanimity within the caucus will be difficult in any case. If Rockefeller’s public option amendment fails, it’s likely that he will vote against the bill coming out of committee. Will Snowe make up for that defection? Will any other Democrats go with Rockefeller, killing the bill? If Rockefeller’s public option amendment succeeds (an unlikely prospect), will that mean Snowe is out of the picture? Will that doom that bill on the full Senate floor?
And the public option is only one of several potential bombs that are set to explode as the committee tries to move this legislation.
I still think that the Finance Committee will fail to report a bill and that if they do report one, the overall bill (once it is melded with the HELP Bill) will fail to get 60 votes. I still think we’re headed for the budget reconciliation process. But, we’ll know for sure before long.
I have to say, I’ve been impress with Jay Rockefeller in this debate. I’ve always kind of written him off due to his name and heritage, but I also know that many of the generation after the David-Laurence-Nelson Rockefeller generation opposed the neocon inclinations of their elders.
I hope the public option wins out. Co-ops are no substitute, truly. And I want the bill to pass, and it looks like it may not WITHOUT a public option.
wow. I can’t type today! impressed! Not impress. etc.
Thanks for update on “As the Finance Committee Turns” – very creative idea there, Orrin Hatch’s. How about public option for all states beginnning with N. triggers for all states beginning with T.
I have a stupid question. Why are the Republicans introducing amendments for a bill they almost certainly won’t vote for when( or even if) it reaches the Senate floor?
It seems like a complete waste of time. Can you shed any light on how that works?
Sure.
If you are a senator, it is your job to look out for your state. And, therefore, you want to craft legislation in the most favorable way regardless of whether you are going to vote for it. The Republicans on the HELP committee made a lot of very positive contributions to the bill, even though none of them voted for it.