Centrists Uneasy With Speedy Bill Merger

HEALTH BILL

By Anna Edney, with George E. Condon Jr. contributing

A handful of centrist senators from both parties met this morning to discuss withholding their votes to send a healthcare overhaul bill to the floor if it includes provisions they disagree with, such as a public option.

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT)

Their concerns might undermine Democratic leaders’ hope of convincing wavering members to vote to avoid a filibuster and allow limited debate whether or not they agree with the overhaul legislation.

“I’ve not said that my cloture vote is a given, and I’d be very concerned about a cloture vote if I believe the underlying bill is something I can’t live with,” said Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.

Nelson and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, convened centrists this week to collaborate on policy and strategy. Snowe said the group is concerned that leaders who are merging two Senate versions of the healthcare legislation plan to rush a bill to CBO before the end of the week.

The question of how to proceed is likely to come up late this afternoon, when President Obama and Democratic Senate leaders meet at the White House to discuss the bill.

Snowe explained that centrists are concerned that it would be difficult to remove controversial provisions from the overhaul once it hits the floor.

“It would take 60 votes to remove anything,” she said. “That’s the difficulty.”

“The dynamics in play remain to be seen as to whether or not you can address anything of major significance, because it may well require 60 votes,” she added.

Snowe said language on the public option, as well as affordability, must be worked out before any legislation is sent to CBO and comes to the floor.

Snowe has said she will only support a national public option if it has a trigger mechanism that only allows a government-run plan to kick in if insurance companies fail to provide affordable options.

Nelson does not back a national plan, but he supports the idea of allowing states to create their own public plans. The most talked-about alternative now is allowing states to choose whether or not to participate in a national public option. Neither Snowe nor Nelson supports this idea, however.

On affordability, Snowe said she has let negotiators know she would like to give individuals and families the option of purchasing basic health coverage. Under the Senate Finance overhaul measure only “young invincibles” — as it describes the under-25 crowd — can purchase the cheapest coverage; all others must purchase plans with certain coverage minimums.

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