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Wednesday, October 14, 2009
N.M.'s Senators Praise Panel's OK
By Michael Coleman
Journal Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Sen. Jeff Bingaman voted for it, and Sen. Tom Udall wants to change it, but both New Mexico Democrats said Tuesday that a health care overhaul bill that cleared a key Senate committee marks a significant step forward in the congressional debate.
The Senate Finance Committee passed the bill 14-9, with a vote of support from Bingaman, who was among six committee members who crafted the initial legislation over the summer. The panel negotiated the final details over the past month.
“We've been at this quite a while and this is sort of a milestone for sure,” Bingaman said. “It does a lot of very important and needed reforms.”
“We're moving forward, and that's the important thing at this point,” Udall said.
However, Udall said the fact that the Finance Committee bill doesn't include a public insurance option is a problem. He said he and other Senate Democrats plan to push hard to persuade Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to include a public option in the bill he brings to the Senate floor in late October or early November.
“I think there will be a big push by all of the Democrats,” who support a public option, Udall said. “We're trying to use every avenue we have to push this.”
Bingaman, who has voted for a public insurance option three times in committee, said it doesn't necessarily need to be in the bill Reid brings to the floor. He said the provision could be added by amendment.
Reid will merge two bills to produce legislation for debate by the full Senate. One of those bills — Senate health committee legislation approved earlier this year — includes a public health insurance option. The Finance Committee bill does not. Bingaman said it is “questionable” whether Reid has the 60 Senate votes needed to cut off debate and force a vote on a bill that includes a public option.
“I hope he brings a bill to the floor that will get 60 votes,” Bingaman said. “He needs to make that decision on the basis of talking to a lot of different senators.”
Bingaman has said nonprofit health care insurance co-ops provided for in the Finance Committee bill would accomplish much the same thing as a public option in providing health insurance for millions more Americans.
Udall isn't so sure.
“I just don't know that it would do what a robust public option would do,” Udall said. “We need competition, and we need to keep the insurance companies honest.”
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