Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus accused Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) of attempting to “gut and kill” health care reform legislation Thursday during the Committee’s seventh day of markup for the America’s Healthy Future Act.

“You want to gut the President’s program, or you want to cut health care reform,” Baucus said to Crapo. He added, “you want to take away personal responsibility for individuals to buy personal coverage… this amendment guts and kills health care reform.”

The amendment states “This amendment provides that no tax, fee or penalty imposed by this legislation shall be applied to any individual earning less than $200,000 per year or any couple earning less than $250,000 per year.”

There was a ray of bi-partisanship Thursday when Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) introduced an amendment that would allow taxpayers to deduct over-the-counter medical products as medical expenses. Chairman Baucus along with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D- Mich.) offered to assist the Senator from Kentucky on the amendment, both agreeing that it addresses an important issue.

Chairman Baucus hopes to finish the markup late Thursday night. The Finance Committee has heard arguments for 107 amendments of the 564 submitted.

Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) says that we should allow research and the market, not politicians, to decide which type of new energy is preferred (0:16).

 

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