Healthcare Reform Rolls Along

Jake Wolf-Jensen

The clock is ticking on healthcare reform for Senate Democrats, though they are close to getting the necessary 60 votes that would ensure the passing of the bill, which would include an option for government-backed insurance, according to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY).

President Obama has made overhauling the healthcare system his top domestic priority, and has laid out an ambitious goal of passing reform legislation before the year's end. He has also set a cost limit of $900 billion on the bill, though there is speculation that he would be willing to go up to $1 trillion.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is leaning towards proposing a bill that would make the government option optional for individual states, said Schumer, while on NBC's Meet the Press last Sunday.

“The liberals, they'd like it stronger, but are willing to live with [the opt-out bill],” said Schumer. “The more moderate Democrats - there are some who actually like it. As long as it's a level playing field, they are comfortable with it.”

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) is also optimistic about the bill, and that it will pass by the end of the year, as Obama hopes.

“If we get some of the more moderate senators like [Nebraska's] Ben Nelson and [Indiana's] Evan Bayh and [Connecticut's] Joe Lieberman in the fold, it would not surprise me to see the few remaining moderate Republicans come along,” said McCaskill last Sunday, while on ABC's This Week, though Nelson has said that he is not ready to support a government-run option, even with the opt-out provision.

“I'll take a look at the one where states could opt in if they make the decision themselves,” said Nelson, during an interview on CNN. “I think the states can make decisions on their own about their citizens. And so I certainly would look at that.”

An aide for Joe Lieberman said that, while he doesn't necessarily support the public option, he would be “inclined” to vote for the bill.

Even Senate Republicans are predicting some success for the health care bill, such as Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who said that the Democrats “have the votes” to get the bill through legislation. “It's likely they will get something through, but it's not clear to me what it is,” said McCain last Sunday, while on CBS's Face the Nation.

Sources: Providence Journal, Associated Press