Let the games begin!
The Senate is set to start debating its version of the health care reform bill on Monday.
It took all 60 Democratic votes to begin debate. There is, sadly, no guarantee that the 60 will be there to pass the final bill.
Keep an eye on these Senators on both sides of the aisle:
- Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), a moderate Republican that may be persuaded to vote for the final vote.
- Senator Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana), a conservative Democrat who is generally opposed to the public insurance option.
- Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut), who is intent on killing the bill if it contains a public option.
- Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas), another conservative Democrat opposed to the public option.
- Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska), a conservative Democrat who wants tougher restrictions on abortion.
- Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who favors a "trigger" for a public option and is the only Republican Senator who voted in favor of the Senate Finance Committee health care reform bill.
The biggest obstacles to passing the bill appear to be abortion and the public insurance option.
For those unfamiliar with the public option, it is simply a proposed government-run insurance provider that would compete with the existing private insurance providers in a proposed insurance marketplace. The idea is to increase competition and lower premiums. Conservatives in general are opposed to the public option because they want to protect the profits of the insurance companies, although they will never explicitly state that.
As for abortion, there are already strict restrictions in the House version of the bill, thanks in part to the Stupak Amendment. Abortion opponents argue that "life is sacred," completely missing the point that sometimes the woman's life is at risk. The late George Carlin once stated in his routine that abortion opponents "aren't pro-life, they're anti-woman."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) hopes to have the final bill finished in time for Christmas.
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