The Senate Finance Committee will soon vote on adding a public option to the Baucus bill, so they say. Apparently, the senators in charge of working out the details of the important senate healthcare reform bill have never before debated a public option. Oh well, it's not like our leaders are here to inspire confidence.It was thought that the vote would occur today, but senators come and go as they please, so now it's looking like it will be Tuesday, at least, before the 19 men and 4 women can get to it.
Should it actually happen, Chris Bowers breaks it down for us:
All 10 Republicans on the Finance Committee, including Olympia Snowe, are expected to vote against both public option amendments. Eight Democrats are highly likely to be yes votes: Bingaman (NM), Cantwell (WA), Kerry (MA), Menendez (NJ), Schumer (NY), Stabenow (MI), Rockefeller (WV), and Wyden (OR). It took a lot of organizing to even get that far, given the reluctance of Bingaman, Cantwell, Kerry and Wyden at times.
The other five members of the committee are difficult to predict, given that they have been all over the map on the public option this year.
That makes watching their votes all that much more fun. The 'all over the map' gang are: Baucus (MT), Carper (DE), Conrad (ND), Lincoln (AR) and Nelson (FL).
Related: CBO Tells Blue Dogs That The Public Option Will Save $$$$$
Progressive Politics News Health Care Public Option
