Senate Hits Brakes on Health Care

Kennedy's death left a void—and no one is stepping up to fill it

(NEWSER) - As Democrats fight among themselves over health care, it’s becoming painfully clear that they lack a clear public leader on the issue, writes Manu Raju for Politico. In part it’s because, with a number of House and Senate committees involved, there are too many cooks stirring the pot, and in part because there’s no Ted Kennedy-esque figure who commands respect. Liberals distrust Max Baucus; Chris Dodd, who stepped in for Kennedy and drafted a competing bill, is more focused on financial reform. More»

(NEWSER) - Harry Reid yesterday pulled the plug on painstaking efforts to win bipartisan support for health care reform, telling Max Baucus to drop a proposal, aimed at wooing Republicans, that would tax health benefits and leave out a public insurance option. The Senate majority leader told Baucus, the Finance Committee chairman who's been pushing negotiations, that the effort wasn't worth the few votes it might win, as it would cost the bill 10 to 15 Democratic votes. More»

Baucus, Dodd the only senators with secure seats at negotiating table

(NEWSER) - Every senator worth their salt is salivating for a seat at the table when Harry Reid merges the Senate’s two competing health care bills—but the vast majority will instead have their noses pressed to the glass. Reid hopes to speed things up by keeping the group small, Politico reports, with one Senate leadership source saying that it may come down to three men in a room: Reid, Max Baucus, and Chris Dodd. More»

(NEWSER) - The health care reform bill is now in the hands of the Senate Finance Committee and chairman Max Baucus won't be rushed, Politico reports. The Montana Democrat, under pressure from the White House to get a deal done, has been locked in talks to build bipartisan consensus for financing the health care overhaul, while the window in which President Obama can achieve his goal of getting a bill done by August is rapidly closing. More»

Senator calls for legislation to go forward as he starts fresh round of chemotherapy

(NEWSER) - Ted Kennedy is undergoing a new round of chemotherapy and is expected to miss this month's debate on the health care overhaul he crafted, the Hill reports. The senator has been weakened by his brain cancer treatment, but he has insisted the process move forward during his absence from Capitol Hill. He plans to continue playing a leading role from his Massachusetts home. More»