Sanders could back effort to 'scale down' health bill

A effort to "scale down" the Senate's healthcare reform bill could make it easier for Democrats to garner the 60 votes needed to pass the legislation, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said late Tuesday.

The self-described democratic socialist said that stripping away nonessential provisions of the bill could be another alternative to ensure the bill's passage along with the long-discussed budget reconciliation process.

"Maybe [we should] scale down what we are trying to do and see if we can get 60 votes," Sanders said on MSNBC Tuesday night.

A pared-down bill would have to include, a "significant" expansion of Medicaid, a greater focus on primary healthcare and growth of community health centers and measures to reduce the costs of prescription drugs.

"Maybe we can get 60 votes with that," Sanders added.

The first-term senator has long supported passing the bill via the budget reconciliation process, which would allow senators to pass through procedural motions by simply majority vote instead of the 60 votes needed under conventional rules.

A handful of centrist Democratic senators have threatened to vote against final cloture on the Senate's $849 billion health bill should the final product not meet their demands.

Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, who caucuses with the Democrats, have said they would not vote for a final bill with a government-run public health insurance option included in it.

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has said he could not vote for a final bill with the existing abortion language included, which he thinks does not do enough to prevent federal funds from paying for abortions. Nelson has also expressed skepticism about the public option.

Senate Majority Leader Harry (D-Vev.), however, was able to marshal 60 Democratic votes to clear the bill over its first procedural hurdle on Saturday night. But with 60 Democratic caucus members, Reid has no margin for error on further votes.

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