Senate Finance Votes Against Public Option

Breaking News. In an important advance for a more moderate, bipartisan health reforms the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday voted against including a "public option" provision in the bill. While the media is reporting this as some form of "set-back" related to health reform, in reality this may prove to be a critical victory towards advancing the more moderate health reform being proposed by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT). The panel rejected a proposal by Sen. John Rockefeller (D-WV) 15-8, and a second public option proposal by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) was defeated 13-10. The votes clearly support the more moderate approach taken by the committee chairman, Senator Max Baucus thus creating new hope for bipartisan health reform legislation. The Senate Finance Committee continues it work today.