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NEWS ABOUT: Senate Finance Committee

Baucus Fleshes Out New Health Reform Compromise

To curb costs, plan would offer stripped-down coverage, add fees to health industry

(Newser) - With President Obama’s much-anticipated health care speech to Congress on the horizon, the head of the Senate Finance Committee has rolled out a new proposal for a compromise bill, the New York Times reports. Sen. Max Baucus’ plan would offer scaled-down coverage to some, and, to cover the $880... More »

Baucus to Push for Bipartisan Health Bill

'Gang of six' chair will test whether GOP has any interest

(Newser) - Democratic Senator Max Baucus said today he will test the waters of bipartisanship in health care reform, the New York Times reports. After a month of angry nationwide debate, the Senate Finance Committee chair plans to present the bipartisan group of six with a formal health proposal as early as... More »

Grassley: Town Halls Telling Us to Scale Back

(Newser) - Chuck Grassley, the leading Republican senator negotiating health care reform, said yesterday that Congress should pass a substantially narrower bill in the face of town hall anger. The Iowa legislator said baying crowds at public meetings had convinced him that the public has rejected "a government takeover of health... More »

Baucus & Co to Meet Obama for Health Care Talk

Today's chat signals prez is still looking for bipartisan compromise

(Newser) - Barack Obama will meet with all six key negotiators on the Senate Finance Committee today at the White House to discuss the effort to draft a compromise bill that could win some GOP support, the New York Times reports. It’s the first time he’s met with the six—... More »

5 Things to Watch During Critical August Break

Health care takes center stage in 'consequential' recess

(Newser) - With health care reform hanging in the balance, the August congressional recess is likely to be a lot less relaxing than usual, writes Glenn Thrush in Politico. What to watch:
  1. Health insurers’ response to Nancy Pelosi’s singling them out as the "bad guys" on soaring health care costs.
... More »

Why Congress Won't Face the Fat Problem

Lawmakers fear giving US 'bad news'—especially while munching Doritos

(Newser) - Congress is “in denial” on one key health issue: obesity, writes Lisa Lerer for Politico. Obesity-related illnesses reportedly cost $147 billion, or 10% of medical spending, last year—and lawmakers say they’re focused on cost-cutting. But, experts say, “no one wants to tell Americans the bad news.... More »

Senate Group of 6 Moves Health Reform to the Center

Dems' priorities fall by the wayside

(Newser) - The bipartisan group of senators who've been hammering out their own health reform plan, led by Montana’s Max Baucus, are close to a compromise that leaves out key pillars of the Obama-backed plan, including the government insurance option to compete with private plans and the mandate that employers offer... More »

No Vote on Health Care Reform Before Fall: Reid

More time is needed to build support for bill, majority leader says

(Newser) - The Senate will not vote on the health-care bill before the August recess, Majority Leader Harry Reid said today, citing the need to build bipartisan support—or even unified Democratic support—for such comprehensive reform, the AP reports. “Working with Republicans, one of the things that they asked for... More »

Obama Steams as Baucus Holds Up Health Bill

(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... More »

Reid Pulls Plug on GOP-Friendly Health Plan

(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... More »

Hospitals Agree to $155B in Future Savings

Will accept lower payments for Medicaid, Medicare

(Newser) - The nation’s hospitals have struck a deal with White House and Senate negotiators that will save the government $155 billion over 10 years, the Washington Post reports. The hospitals will accept lower-than-expected Medicare and Medicaid payments, and a gradual reduction in the amount paid to help care for the... More »

Senate Hits Brakes on Health Care

(Newser) - Would-be health care reformers had a bad day yesterday, hitting a series of obstacles that makes hitting President Obama’s August deadline increasingly unlikely, Politico reports. The Senate Finance Committee said it wouldn’t have a package before the July 4 recess, and the Congressional Budget Office slapped a $1.... More »

Baucus Makes Dems Queasy on Health Care

Some think the Montana Dem is too bipartisan for comfort

(Newser) - The Democrats’ plan to reform health care rests largely in the hands of Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, and that’s making some Democrats more than a little queasy, Politico reports. Baucus’ zeal for bipartisanship has frustrated his party more than once. He’s been enthusiastic about health care—“... More »

Senate Panel's Tax Scrutiny Hampers Confirmations

(Newser) - The sheer number of tax-related problems that have slowed confirmation of Obama nominees has some insisting the process has become tougher, Time reports. Not so, says Sen. Charles Grassley. “We are vetting nominees for the current administration the same way we vetted nominees for the previous administration,” said... More »

It's Now or Never for Health Care Reform: Grassley

Election politics will only make reform more difficult, Grassley says

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s promised health care reform must happen this year—or it won't happen at all in the next four years, says a key GOP senator. Charles Grassley—he'll play a major role in any new legislation as the ranking Republican on the finance panel—warns that election politics... More »

Top Dem Dogs Ready to Retool Obama's Budget

Prez lets lawmakers take the lead—and they have their own ideas

(Newser) - To clear Congress, President Obama’s budget is going to have to survive committee turf wars and parochial interests—and that’s just the Democrats. The New York Times reports that key committee chairmen in the House and Senate have ideas of their own on health care, energy, and taxes.... More »

Obama Trade Nominee Has Tax Snafu, Amends Returns

(Newser) - Ron Kirk, President Obama’s nominee for US trade representative, has some tax problems of his own, Reuters reports today, with the Senate Finance Committee estimating a liability of about $10,000; Kirk has already moved to correct the errors. The majority stem from speaking funds he passed directly to... More »

Geithner Confirmation Expected

Committee grills Treasury nominee on taxes, but session lasts just four hours

(Newser) - Members of the Senate Finance Committee reprimanded Timothy Geithner today for not paying $40,000 in taxes, but appeared ready to recommend the full Senate confirm him as Treasury Secretary despite his financial infractions, Roll Call reports. “I apologize for putting you in the position where you had to... More »

Geithner's Nomination Is Unlikely to Fail

Taxes, schmaxes: Senate wants to know if he can fix economy

(Newser) - The herculean task awaiting Timothy Geithner is so critical to the nation that a niggling detail like unpaid taxes is unlikely to derail his bid to head up the Treasury Department, writes Deborah Solomon in the Wall Street Journal. While senators will likely press Geithner about his missteps during his... More »

GOP Still on Board With Geithner Despite Tax Errors

Treasury nominee 'going to be just fine' with bigger problems he'll be facing

(Newser) - Timothy Geithner’s tax mistakes are minor compared with how much he could contribute as Treasury secretary, Republican leaders say. “I don’t think we can get a better person for this position,” Senate Finance Committee No. 2 Orrin Hatch told the Washington Post. Geithner’s errors include... More »

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