A new measure on the public option will be unveiled next week, which Senate Democratic leaders hope will break the logjam on healthcare reform.
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), who has been tapped by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to come up with a Plan B approach to the public option controversy that has divided Democrats, has been working closely with liberal and conservative Democrats, as well as Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).
In an interview, Carper acknowledged that Reid’s “opt out” public option bill does not have 60 votes necessary for passage, even though it cleared a procedural hurdle last month.
If it attracts widespread support, the Carper measure could be added to Reid’s bill, which is expected to be debated on the Senate floor over the next several weeks.
Sensing that his bill may need changes, Reid recently called on Carper and Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.) to come up with new legislative language on the hot-button issue of the public option.
SOURCE: The Hill
