From The National Journal:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced today that the full Senate health care bill will include a public option with an opt-out provision for individual states. Reid said he was only one or two votes shy of the 60 needed to block a filibuster.
"The public option with an opt-out is the one that's fair," Reid said at an afternoon press conference.
The announcement comes after two weeks of deliberation to combine the bills passed by the Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees.
Reid said that while he still did not have 60 votes, he was optimistic that support would come. Some moderate Democrats, among them Ben Nelson of Nebraska, have not warmed to the idea.
"I believe that as soon as we get the bill back from the [Congressional Budget Office] and people have a chance to look at it, I believe we will clearly have the support of my caucus to move forward with it," Reid said.
Reid also rejected the "trigger" option floated by Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine, who is the only Republican to vote for a health care bill so far. However, Reid did say the final bill would include a co-op from the Finance bill.
The Senate Bills:
- S1679: Affordable Health Choices Act
- S1796: America's Healthy Future Act
