Senate Panel Defeats Public Option in Baucus Health Care Reform Measure

Some good news for healthcare reform. I agree that we need reform, especially in regard to cost and accessibility, but the government-run part will only ration healthcare, increase abortion, and give the government more control of our lives.

A Senate committee today (Tues.) voted to defeat an amendment to include the public option in the Baucus health care "reform" legislation. The public option is the government-run health care program that pro-life groups worry would expand abortion funding more that is already present in the bill.

The Senate Finance Committee rejected an amendment from Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia on a 15-8 vote to include the government-run health care plan in the Baucus bill.

Sen. Max Baucus, the sponsor of the measure, voted against the public option along with four other Democrats and all 10 Republicans who are members of the committee.

During the debate, Baucus said he liked much about the public option but decided to vote against it because he worried adding it would kill the bill since the government option doesn't have the support of a majority of the members of the Senate.

story here


The bad news:

Senate Panel Rejects Amdt to Cut Abortion Funding From Baucus Health Care Bill