Key House Dem touts positives in Senate health bill

A key House Democrat on Tuesday promoted what he views are the positives of the Senate's healthcare reform bill a day after a critical provision favored by liberals was stripped from the bill.

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, took to Twitter to tout provisions in the bill that reduce premiums, expand coverage and cover people with pre-existing conditions:

Went on "Air America" Senate health bill covers uninsured, reduces premiums, stops discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Monday announced that he had removed Medicare buy-in provision, which would have allowed people between the ages of 55 to 64, from the upper chamber's bill. The move was seen as a concession to centrist Democrats, whom Reid needs to break a Republican filibuster of the bill.

The buy-in was originally inserted as a substitute for the public health insurance option, which was reportedly taken out of the bill last week.

Several centrists, most notably Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) objected to the buy-in proposal. Liberal senators such as Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) expressed enthusiasm for the provision.

Liberal Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) held out hope that the buy-in would remain in the final bill after Reid announced its removal. 

Cross-posted to the Briefing Room