Baucus: There May Be 60 Votes For "Less Pure" Public Option

Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) insisted on Monday that a public option for insurance coverage was very much "alive" as he and two other Democratic senators merged together disparate health care bills.

But in what will surely be a disappointment for progressives, the Montana Democrat hinted strongly that the provision would be watered down.

"This issue is alive and we are looking at it to see what makes the most sense," the senator declared on a conference call with reporters. "The major overall goal here though is to get health care reform that passes the Senate, gets 60 votes, and I just don't know if there is 60 votes for the most pure kinds of the public option. There may be 60 votes for the less pure kinds."

The less pure kinds, Baucus explained, were co-ops, a public plan triggered by economic conditions and an insurance structure that allowed states to opt in or out of a public option. He seemed to find the last option the most intriguing.

"It is new and it is interesting," said Baucus. "Senators are trying to think it through, its effect, what it will do? We don't know yet."

The conference call, hosted by the group Families USA, was one of Bacucus' most extensive public conversations since the committee he chairs passed health care legislation by a 14-9 vote. Currently he and Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are in the process of melding together his Senate Finance Committee bill with one produced by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

Baucus brushed off complaints from his Republican colleagues that Democratic leadership was forming health care reform in non-transparent, closed-door meetings with the White House. As for the much-criticized private industry study that alleged his bill raise heath care premiums, the Montana Democrat said it "was something slapped together at the end, and almost an embarrassment it was so poorly put together."

"It was one-sided," he added, dispensing with his usual laid-back demeanor. "It was wrong and frankly when the report came out... it galvanized... a lot of feelings in the Senate against the insurance industry. It was a last minute tactic that just didn't make any sense."

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[pointus]

"Less pure."
Sounds like Baucus' level of integrity.

The smirk on that corrupt SOB's face makes me want to slap it right off him.

[RightsGuy]

Max Baucus and the Senate Finance Committee Should NOT Be Deciding Health Care for America

“They are too corrupted by corporate health industry profiteers donations to give America the health care policy it needs.

According to OpenSecrets.org over his career Baucus has taken donations from:
The Insurance Industry: $1,170,313
Health Professionals $1,016,276
Pharmaceut­icals/Heal­th Products Industry $734,605
Hospitals/Nursing Homes $541,891
Health Services/HMOs $439,700
“THAT IS A GRAND TOTAL OF $3,902,785.

Can we trust Baucus to put aside the profits of the industries that have kept him in the senate? Will he put the people’s necessities ahead of the profits of his contributors? Baucus has shown his bias and should be removed from leading the health care reform.

“It is time to remove Baucus from the leadership of health care reform, and to vote him OUT of office.

Read the whole story: http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/may/max_baucus_should_no.php

JOIN Montanans for Single Payer. Find out more here: http://montanansforsinglepayer.org/

[RoofinReality]

Someone wrote earlier that the health INSURANCE reform that is currently being shepherded thru Congress is a financial boondoggle that will tie us up financially for years to come. My questions, not necessarily in order, are:
1) where were you in 2001 when President Bush pushed thru an unfunded TRILLION dollar tax cu? The CBO's told us that the bills being reviewed are not only paid for but actually shave a little off the budget deficit.
2) where were you when President Bush sent us into a war that we didn't need to undertake, costing us BILLIONS upon BILLIONS (I think $200 each year)
3) what's your Rx for keeping 40,000+ Americans from dying EACH YEAR due to a lack of health insurance?
4) please share with us how great your insurance plan/company is. Working for one, I work for a wonderful company. BUT, I also know the costs for our plans are expensive for anyone to buy, even with employer subsidies. And guess what (not that you couldn't see this coming if you were paying attention)? PREMIUMS are INCREASING again this coming year while BENEFITS are DECREASING(so more money out of my pocket).

The current admin/Congress was elected to clean up the mess(es) left by the previous admin. It's okay if you don't like them. But please ADD to the civil discourse by at least offering up realistic alternatives to a crisis that is happening all around us.

[BlueSkyPilot]

"It is new and it is interesting," said Baucus. "Senators are trying to think "

They just seem to not be able to get the hang of it!

"its effect, what it will do? We don't know yet."

Just keep trying.

[Guitar63]

Doesn't the fact that you are calling it a "less pure" version jump out at anyone else? I mean seriously, if something is "less pure" doesn't that imply that it is less good? less useful? more corrupt?

[rcozad]

Baucus has an enormous debt to cover if a strong Compassionate public option passes and the US enters the 21st century equal to all the other modern nations on earth! The Pharma/ Insurance/ hospital lobbies have given him wheelbarrow loads of money to protect them from Comprehensive affordable health care! He ought to listen to the Governor of Montana Brian Switzer(sp?)( who has more brains in his little finger than Baucus has in his entire brain) that since Canada instituted Comprehensive Health care in 1946 not one Canadian has come to Montana for health care! prior to 1946 there was a brisk business for treating Canadians in Montana, guess what changed!

[Ron44]

The faster Baucus is out of the Senate the better off we all will be!!!!

[AtheistMaximus]

It seems Max is trying to have his cake and eat it too.
He knows the Dems. will drop him if he doesn't support public option, but if he does that then he loses all that big Insurance Co. money.
So he just keeps watering down the public option till were left with reform only in name and not in substance. Vote this guy out.

[Guitar63]

Dilution is NOT the solution!

[itys]

The Baucus bill is now running over 1500 pages...Th­is bill is a fiscal, legislative, and regulatory nightmare - a trifecta of grief for taxpayers and anyone concerned about their health care. But "reform" has developed a steam roller momentum all its own and will be very hard to stop.

And like a steam roller, will squoosh everything insight, including everyone's individuals rights with regard to their health care. Whether you like it or not.

But the BEAUTY of this bill will become 2012 political hot potato, when people realize the fiscal IRRESPONSIBILITY that our legislature voted on with this bill. And a promise can then be made to the American people to repel/rescind the health care bill nightmare.

obama, will sail off into oblivion doing his international "I hate America" recap tour of 2009, make millions and have bill ayers write him a third novel, while America recovers from his financial fiasco and blunders.

[AtheistMaximus]

Why do you bother wasting your time. You're side does not seem to get it, people are dying, and your answer is to do nothing. That is why everyone has turned a def ear to your rants and outright lies.
What do you recommend we do, give more tax breaks to the rich and hope some crumbs fall for the rest of us?

[taddles]

Grab a mop. Your party left a huge stinking mess, perhaps you could help clean it up.

[frappe]

"Less pure" option? Now, that's spoken like a true, "less pure" politician.

[Guitar63]

Certainly - But it's not like anyone is realistically thinking "In Baucus we trust".

[sc300nc]

Just sit a 1,000 sheet pile of papers in front of Obama with Healthcare printed on it, he'll sign it.

[KnowzyRowzy]

Less pure, says the dir ty politician.

[malindeman]

I have to say the state opt out public option sounds better to me than a trigger option. Am I missing something?

I'm not going to vote for anyone who does not support a public option, but this seems like this might be a compromise I can live with.

I'm thinking most states would not opt out. If the public option works as expected, then the remaining states would feel internal presure to adopt it.

One concern I have is that the public option will not be open to most people. If so, then perhaps it won't put much pressure on insurance companies and there won't be much pressure to adopt it.

[sc300nc]

I'm not voting for anyone that supports a public option.

[polson]

anyone "who"
who = person
that = inanimate object

[Mark Bunster]

funny how you didn't have 60 for a public option in committee, but now that your greasy, corporate-pietastic finger has been put to the political winds instead, suddenly there ARE
60 votes, after all. Imagine!

Seriously, to see him get behind opt-out, as long as the tradeoff is a Medicare Lite version of a PO, is hugely encouraging to me. if you have the chance to get your substantive goals, it's OK to compromise on process IMO. But NOT the other way round!

[itys]

Over 55% of people polled OPPOSE the health care bill.

55%...And Rising Everyday

[Grunty1]

The Baucas Bill, NOT Reform.

No honesty from the Righties.

[taddles]

Never is.

[Wisconsin Dave]

And while all this circus sideshow extravagant is going on 70% of
everyone wants Single Payer healthcare for all.

[mimigrammy]

You believe a select group of people telling a pollster they are against something, which they also admit they don't understand, is some how meaningful? I don't rely on issue related polls to dictate what is right and what is wrong, or what is best for America and what is not. With that said, there was a meaning poll taken in November 2008. So, get over it, your guys lost and there are fair, constitutional consequences for losing an election poll. You will have more opportunities in the future.

[sc300nc]

They will see the results of this if they pass healtcare and are thrown out of office next year.

[Thabit]

If they make a good healthcare bill their jobs are safe , its only if they listen to insurance companys or republicans ( is there reallly any difference in their positions) that they need to worry about their jobs . The same people that voted for Obama will stand up for them if they make a good bill

[frappe]

YOU are WRONG.

[mimigrammy]

Just what does "less pure" mean Senator? Is it the same as "half-ass"?

[Wisconsin Dave]

“Less pure,” now that is known in the religious community as “lukewarm,”
a mixture of good and evįl.

Actually a pretense of good hiding an intent to do evįl.