Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) Tuesday said that the public option will continue to be included in the Senate’s health care reform legislation.
“We’re going to move forward, I believe strongly, with the public option,” said Reid. (0:23)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) Tuesday addressed major obstacles facing the Senate’s health care reform legislation, including a possible move by pro-life Senators to introduce language barring federal funding for abortions, similar to the Stupak amendment that made its way into the Affordable Health Care for Americans Act.
“We’re going to continue to work with the pro-choice folks and the pro-life folks in the Senate and come up with something fair and reasonable,” Reid said during a late-morning press conference.
The majority leader added that the public option will continue to be included in the legislation, despite the objections levied by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who has threatened to filibuster any legislation with the provision.
“We’re going to move forward, I believe strongly, with the public option,” said Reid. “I had a conversation with Joe Lieberman an hour ago, it was a good conversation and I’m confident we’ll work something out.”
Reid, and the Democratic Senators that joined him, appeared at Tuesday’s conference flanked by U.S. servicemen and women. They took the opportunity to highlight the Caregiver and Veterans Affairs Act, a piece of legislation Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Ok.) has put a hold on.
Coburn has stated that although he supports the aim of the bill, which would give families of wounded veterans the resources for home treatment, he is uncomfortable passing the legislation until payment is addressed.
“Where was he when we were spending a trillion dollars on the war in Iraq? That wasn’t paid for,” Reid argued. “I have no ability to comprehend the illogic of [Senator] Coburn.”
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says Wednesday on the Senate floor that Republicans should have a say in the crafting of health care reform legislation. (0:15)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Monday that the public option, saddled with a provision that will allow states to individually opt-out, will be included in the final draft of the Senate’s health care reform legislation.
Although Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), the only Republican on the Senate Finance Committee to vote in favor of moving the legislation out of committee, does not support a public option, Reid stated that the Senate has to move on. The Majority Leader added that he hopes that Snowe and other Republicans will support health care reform after being given the chance to submit their own amendments. (0:24)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Monday that the public option, saddled with a provision that will allow states to individually opt-out, will be included in the final draft of the Senate’s health care reform legislation.
“Under this concept states will be able to determine if the public option works well for them,” Reid said during a late afternoon press conference.
Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Monday that the public option, saddled with a provision that will allow states to individually opt-out, will be included in the final draft of the Senate’s health care reform legislation.
“Under this concept states will be able to determine if the public option works well for them,” Reid said during a late afternoon press conference. “It’s the fairest way to go”
The Senate Majority Leader added that states will have until 2014 to opt-out. Reid noted that there will be plans for a non-profit insurance cooperative in the legislation, but did not provide further comment.
Reid stated that he will not be submitting a “trigger option,” or a mechanism that would launch the public option only if health care providers fail to make essential reforms, for scoring through the Congressional budget office. The “trigger” was heavily supported by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), the only Republican on the Senate Finance Committee to vote in favor of moving the legislation out of committee.
Reid responded to the possible alienation of Snowe, lamenting the lack of moderate Republicans in the Senate.
“I’m always looking for Republicans. We looked for Republicans on this,” Reid said. “It’s a little hard to find them. We’ve had to do a lot of this on our own.”
Reid quipped that he could count the number of moderate Republicans among his colleagues on two fingers.
There have been doubts in recent weeks over whether the public option would be included in the Senate’s legislation, with many believing the taxpayer-funded insurance plan would only be in the House bill. Now, as reports arise charging that the House will not have enough votes to pass legislation with the public option, the tables seem to have turned.
Still, during a press conference last Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) appeared far from willing to admit defeat over the inclusion of the controversial plan.
“By no means is the [vote] count complete or has any decision been made,” Pelosi told reporters. “At the end of the day we will have a public option in our legislation.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) took Paul Simon’s Capitol Hill appearance Wednesday as an opportunity to reference some selections from the prolific songwriter’s catalogue, comparing the health care reform debate to a 1970’s Simon and Garfunkel tune.
“If there were ever a time we have troubled waters, it’s now,” Reid said, referring to the song “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” “If there were ever a bridge that we need over these troubled waters, it’s passing comprehensive health care reform.”
“If we could do that, we could really say we had diamonds on the soles of our shoes,” Reid added. “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” appeared on Simon’s 1986 album “Graceland.” (0:14)
The Senate Finance Committee is pursuing a non profit insurance co-op as an alternative to a public option styled after Medicare, a plan Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) finds acceptable.
“If we can come up with a [co-op] that… makes more competition and makes insurance companies honest, I think it will fill the bill,” said Reid. (0:40)
“The public option is in the eye of the beholder. There are different types of public option. We’re going to look at all of them,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) stated during a press conference with Senate Democratic leaders Thursday. (0:08)
By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that a vote allocating an additional $2 billion for the popular “Cash For Clunkers” program could come to the Senate floor as soon as Thursday.
“I can envision doing my very best to get this passed today,” Reid said during a press conference Thursday.
While a number of amendments have been proposed to tweak the program, the Senate Majority Leader said that they would not be adopted.
“We all know that if we change the bill it will die,” Reid said.
