Health Reform Faces Tougher Battle in Senate

Senate majority leader banks on 60 votes, infuriates Baucus

(NEWSER) - Harry Reid is preparing to bring a health reform bill that includes a public option to the floor of the Senate, gambling that his 60-member caucus will support the plan if it contains opt-out measures for individual states. The majority leader and other senators met with Barack Obama yesterday to discuss strategy, although the president did not explicitly endorse the approach. Polls show a clear majority supports a public option, and Nancy Pelosi is bringing a bill containing one through the House. More»

Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman are two of them

(NEWSER) - To get the 60 votes he needs just to bring his health care bill to the floor of the Senate, Harry Reid is going to have to rein in some of his caucus' members. Politico surveys the majority leader's biggest challenges.

• Joe Lieberman, Conn. The independent said yesterday he'll join a GOP filibuster if the bill's not changed. He's no fan of either a public option or Olympia Snowe's trigger option—though he might just be posturing.

Some of the players in the health care game have stumbled badly

(NEWSER) - As the health care bill stumbles towards the finish line, it's painfully obvious that some lawmakers just play the game much better than others, writes Eugene Robinson. Nancy Pelosi's a master, having delivered a House bill with nearly everything the president wanted despite the Republicans and Blue Dogs. and Joe Lieberman's so adept that he seems to be able to make demands just for the sake of it, Robinson writes in the Washington Post. More»

Mary Landrieu and Ben Nelson expected to back health reform in first vote

(NEWSER) - Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln is in the hot seat tonight, as the last Democratic holdout to the 60 votes Harry Reid needs in balloting tonight to bring the health care bill to the Senate floor for debate. Nebraskan Ben Nelson said yesterday he would vote yes, and Louisiana's Mary Landrieu told Politico last night she was "leaning towards" yes. More»

Majority leader thinks he's got the support to send bill to the floor

(NEWSER) - Harry Reid is “cautiously optimistic” about the success of his frantic attempts to unite the 60 votes of his caucus behind the Senate health care reform bill. “I think we’re together,” he says. But the majority leader was positively voluble about the bill itself, notes the Washington Post : “Of all the bills we've seen, it'll be the best." More»