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Reid meeting with centrists to ensure 60

By Alexander Bolton - 10/27/09 11:30 AM ET

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is holding a series of meetings with Democratic centrists to secure the 60 votes he needs to begin the healthcare debate.

Democratic leaders expect the legislation to hit the Senate floor next week or the week after.

Reid appears confident that the entire Democratic Conference will vote en bloc to begin the healthcare debate, but he’s not taking any chances after losing a crucial vote last week on legislation to address Medicare payments to doctors.

Nothing is certain in the wake of Reid’s announcement Monday that he would include a government-run insurance plan in the Senate bill. Centrists such as Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) have said they would oppose a public option unless a trigger mechanism delayed its implementation.

But Reid is working his conference to get the votes to start the debate.

“Harry has been literally sitting down face to face with senator after senator, working through these differences,” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Tuesday.

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Reid did not include the trigger. Instead, he gave states the option to "opt out" of the public plan.

“I believe we clearly will have the support of my caucus to move to this bill and start legislating,” Reid told reporters Monday.

Durbin said that leaders would stress the historic significance of the upcoming healthcare debate during the Democratic conference lunch scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

“There’s always a question,” Durbin said when asked Tuesday whether  Democrats would muster the 60 votes to proceed to the reform bill. “There are members that have serious concerns that are specific to their states or specific to their own set of values.

“For over 60 years we’ve been waiting for this day and it’s going to be here in the matter of a week or two,” said Durbin. “We’re fortunate enough to serve at this moment in history, and now we have the responsibility to find the best healthcare reform that we can pass.

“We have 60 votes and no excuses,” Durbin added.

Source:
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/64961-reid-meeting-with-centrists-to-ensure-60
The contents of this site are © 2010 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsisiary of News Communications, Inc.

Comments (7)

Its time for reid to bring his boys in and horse whip and hog tie them until they submit to his unconstiutional foney fraudulent bankrupting healthcare bill. The BALLOON BOY WILL BE PROUD OF ALL STRIFE REID is creating with deadfish.———————We don;t believe your LIES reid.BY jake2 on 10/27/2009 at 12:54
Dingy Harry is putting the final nails in his own political coffin. This term is his last. The people of Nevada are fed up with this neo-leftist and are about to send him to his long-overdue retirement. It will be lovely sight to see.BY Bob on 10/27/2009 at 13:34
I thought reid already said he had the votes to commence debate?OH, you mean all the "public-option as phoenix" meme was all just smoke blown up our behinds by democrat big wigs and a compliant media?who knew lol.BY johnboy on 10/27/2009 at 13:40
Shouldn't Reid have met with the Centrists before opening his big mouth and saying that the plan that will reach the Senate floor will include a public option? Does Reid even have any credibility with Centrists afer the way the Senate Finance Committee's bill has been treated? Isn't it obvious to all that the Democratic leadership didn't care what came out of that committee, so long as something did and a potential roadblock was removed? The Democratic leadership planned to change the bill to its liking from the start. What will be included in that bill, how much will it costs, and how will it be funded? Even the Democrats say, they haven't a clue, as they press for support of a bill, any bill, that will include a government-controlled plan.It is clear that the Democratic leadership wants to control the health care industry, and among its goals is the eventual elimination of private industry from the health insurance sector. Among its plans to finance government-operated, or controlled, healthcare insurance providers is new fees and taxes for private insurance companies. Such increases are certain to be passed onto premium payments, causing private insurance prices to rise. ObamaBY Gary Clouser on 10/27/2009 at 13:43
Anyone who believes anything Dingy Harry says must be out of touch with reality. All you centrist better watch out the elections are coming in 2010. If you are not thrown out in 2010, 2012 and 2014 is coming. You destroy peoples health care and they will come after you at the ballot box with a vengeance. Be careful centrists what deep hole you fall into. Harry will be gone after the next election. I would like to think a miracle would happen and Pelosi would be gone to but 1 out 2 will do for now.BY Odie on 10/27/2009 at 13:49
No one can explain what the 'public option' means or what it will cost or how and by whom it will be paid or who is eligible. It will cost something like $1T and is not free. It means a lot of different things to a lot of different people because they do not want to define it because then people will not vote for it or them. It will change 1/6th of the economy. There will be an expansion of government because of new laws and regulations and taxes. It will not save money or lower health care costs. Only tort reform and across state competition for health insurance will do that. AP reports the insurance companies have a profit margin of 2.2%. The government 'public option' is designed to be a loss leader to drive the private insurers out of business leaving a government monopoly. It is a scam just like Cap and Trade, and the Polar Bear scam—more polar bears than ever up north.BY graham on 10/27/2009 at 13:59
why hasnt the hill reported, as politico does, that Leiberman said he will fillibuster any bill with a public option in it?BY johnboy on 10/27/2009 at 14:16

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