Senate panel votes Tuesday on overhaul of health care

WASHINGTON – A key Senate committee will vote Tuesday on its $829 billion overhaul of the nation’s health care system, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday, the final hurdle before the full House and Senate can begin their debate on the future of health care.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Reid, D-Nev., blasted Republicans for opposing the Finance Committee’s measure, accusing GOP leaders of aiming to be “partisan protesters” rather than “productive partners.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., fired back that Democrats have yet to craft a package that can win 60 votes.

Across Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that she would send three different versions of her chamber’s health care bill to the CBO for analysis, bringing the House one step closer to a vote on health care reform. Pelosi said all three versions will include a government-sponsored insurance plan – unlike the Senate Finance measure.

“I think it’s very clear from our conversations with the members that the votes are there for a public option,” Pelosi said.

One version would include what Pelosi called a “robust public option,” which would appeal to liberal members and set reimbursement rates for doctors and hospitals at 5 percent above those currently paid through Medicare. Reid has not decided whether to include a public option in the final Senate bill.