Oct 13 2009
Snowe Backs Baucus Bill
The health-care reform bill crafted by Montana Sen. Max Baucus today passed the Health Committee he chairs, 14-9. Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, long a subject of “will she or won’t she” concerning her vote on Baucus’s proposal, voted to approval the bill.
Snowe was, as expected, the only Republican on the committee to support the bill. No Republican beside possibly Snowe is predicted to vote for the bill’s final passage. Snowe quickly made a point after today’s session to say her aye vote on the Senate floor is not a guarantee.
From here, the bills approved by the Health Committee and the Finance Committee must be merged into one document on which the entire chamber can vote. Meanwhile, the House must combine three committee-approved measures into one piece of legislation.
Both chambers are expected to vote on something next month. On what exactly Congress members will be voting is still the matter of conjecture.
Rest assured though that the much-ballyhooed 1,000-page tome that was pilloried by Republicans during the August recess will not be the final draft. Some of that document may be included but a lot of it will be excised to make room for language negotiated by Congressional leaders.
The key point remains the public option. Baucus maintains there will not be 60 votes for a public option. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says there aren’t 218 votes for no public option. How to rectify those seemingly incongruent positions is the trickiest hurdle left to overcome.
