Baucus Trims Health Care Bill Down To $1 Trillion

Senator Max Baucus, one of the key players in crafting health care reform, broke some big news on Thursday, when he announced that the Senate Finance Committee he chairs could get a bill done for under $1 trillion.

"We are much closer on the scores for a health care reform package than were at this point last week," he said, according to remarks passed along by his staff. "We have options the Congressional Budget Office tells us would cost under $1 trillion and be fully paid for. Based on these developments, I'm even more confident in our ability to move forward. And as I've said before, we will not put out a mark until we are sure we have it right. I'll continue to work with Senator [Chuck] Grassley and members on both sides of aisle to turn these options into a package that can pass the Senate and become law this year."

The details of the Montana Democrat's cuts and proposals have yet to be fully fleshed out, though they likely involve drops in the percentage to which the bill would expand coverage and additional tax increases. An aide on the Finance Committee said that members would be working through the details during the afternoon.

Either way, in the context of congressional politics the pronouncement of a trillion dollar bill is big news. The Finance Committee's initial proposal had come in at a cost of $1.6 trillion, a number that was met with heavy criticism from Republicans in the senate. Even the Obama White House had to backtrack from the prospective bill, saying it was stage one in an ongoing legislative process.

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Comments

[gschear]

Trim this you spinless corupt b@. ast. ards!

[Pacifist2]

Baucus did not have to cut the healthcare reform budget because the Congressional Budget Office's report never included all of the savings which would be realized in the Public Plan proposed by the House. The House plan which included the public option did not come out until last Friday.

Baucus is not serious about health care reform. Call your representatives today and insist that they pledge to veto any bill which does not have a strong public option: that is available nationwide, starts at day one, and is under the control of congress. Then report your representatives' response to your request for a pledge to firedoglake.com

Thanks.

[Tex1969]

Call them, Write them!!! I'll post the link again. It lists all the Congressmen and Senators contact info.

http://standwithdrdean.com/

http://standwithdrdean.com/where_congress_stands?chamber=&party=&state=&hc_status=&commit=Filter

[LEATHERFACE48]

i have great health insurance thru my union!! costs me about 100 per year,,,,,,i dont care what other people dont have....s crew them

[Chace Haynes]

Thats down-right american of you...than­ks for sharing

[OkieMon]

what you are involved in is unsustaina­ble......d­o you want your job or do you not want to pay for your health insurance? take your pick....

[LEATHERFACE48]

my job is guaranteed for the next 10 years i have 26yrs now lump sum payout around 800k and no health care cost increases for 10 years after that sounds good to me

[sanity2008]

You're just a great American! A real mindless attitude.

[northstar11]

doing a little baiting are we???

[Blufftonian]

Not when I'm done.

[Tex1969]

The site gives the names of all Senators and Congressman and where they stand on the public option including their respective contact info. Write your Congressman and Senators!!

http://standwithdrdean.com/

http://standwithdrdean.com/where_congress_stands?chamber=&party=&state=&hc_status=&commit=Filter

[marley22]

LOL "Baucus Trims Health Care Bill Down To $1 Trillion"

Only in America could that be stated with a straight face. It's amazing how quickly 'trillions' became the new 'billions'. We're either becoming Zimbabwe or Dr Evil is working for the government.

Investment tip to self: Buy stock in the company that makes the printing presses the government buys to print money.

[marxmarv]

Money is borrowed into existence by banks. Start your shopping there.

[northstar11]

the more one looks at this stuff the more it is apparent that blagovitch was the helmsely of politics

both of these dudes exposed the dirty little secrets of the "in crowd" and had to be banished in disgrace forthwith

to stop the spread of the truth and to put up the facade of righteousness

[mayahbird]

I'll just bet that they didn't cut their own health care!

[OkieMon]

if you took the t*t sucking health corporations out of the equation a govt-based system would cover everybody and put 300 billion a year back into the treasury..­...

[cariintexas]

It is amazing how for eight long years the republicans could find all the money that Bush and cheney wanted to fight THEIR two wars. eight years and still going of our troops dying, being sent home crippled, lost limbs and all the innocent Iraqi and Afghan people who were and are being killed today. Now they cannot find money to save lives and give people health insurance. where are all the right to lifers?

another hypocritical rightwing slogan= Right to Life

[LEATHERFACE48]

check out waiting times in great britian, canada, ireland anywhere in europe....­....yep, thats the system we want!! NOT!!!

[VPN]

That's a talking point that's been disproved many times over, find something else to whine about.

[LEATHERFACE48]

ok when this and cap and trade go thru, and you're paying an additional 1200 per month, let me know how that works out

[chaifreak]

Stop lying. I lived in the Former Soviet Union, for pete's sake, in the early 90's. I never waited, got house calls, nutrition advice and cheap drugs. They managed to provide this even though the country was falling apart at the seams. It ain't rocket science. If every other industrialized nation can do it, do we really want to admit to such incompetence that we can't? Wait times, my a$$.

[LEATHERFACE48]

did i say russia
?

[Mister Wu]

Beats waiting in line in America. Some insurance companies will give you a bonus if you leave the country for your elective surguries.

[Blufftonian]

Yes, vodka is a cheap drug.

[clutchkill]

another corperate shill only fooling himself. Vote progressive.

[fcsakes]

We all know who gets screwed and who benefits. A good way to cut costs is to get rid of for-profit insurance, the military budget, and let the VA be absorbed into medicare.

I'll be getting on the bandwagon for any third party that commits to single-payer health care. I believe there is a better chance for a third party this time around than we have ever had and the people can do it.

[northstar11]

a trillion for 50 million uninsured----does that give them enough for a box of aspirins and a phone call.??

[LEATHERFACE48]

thats actually 20,000 per person, do the math and get out of mommys basement

[mayahbird]

If you get sick and have to spend time in the hospital, 20,000 is a drop in the bucket!

[northstar11]

thanks for that, i knew you would do the math -----the point is the country can afford the public health care option ------ it is not going to cost 20,000 for every person every year.

even a duma$$ like you can now get the point.

[Lori Bowles]

I think these people have had enough trim.
Stop now while they are ahead so to speak, they really need to get their priorities straight and out of the greed of it all.

[cubs325]

how much profit did the health insurance companies make last year including ceo bonus - that would pay for the cost of public option