Public Option Divides Senators on Health

By: Alex Sundby
Topics: Health Care

(CBS)

If there was a dearth of metaphors to describe what President Obama needs to accomplish during his health-care speech Wednesday night before a joint session of Congress, the senior senator from Minnesota took care of that problem Tuesday morning.

"This is his moment put some meat on the bones," Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) told Co-Anchor Harry Smith on CBS' "The Early Show."

And meat is what most Americans are looking for from Mr. Obama's speech. As CBS News White House Correspondent Bill Plante reported Tuesday, a recent poll shows that 60 percent of Americans think Mr. Obama has not clearly explained his plans to change the nation's health-care system.

Klobuchar and fellow Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) didn't add much meat to the debate during their joint appearance on "The Early Show." While the senators both said they agreed the system needs to change, the inclusion of a government-backed insurance plan, or public option, was still the major division between the two parties.

"I don't think a public option will be part of a final package," Corker said. "While I think certainly the president will mention that in a speech Wednesday night, I do not think it's going to be a part of a plan that passes unless it's done through reconciliation, which to me is not the route to go."

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

The controversial legislative maneuver Corker referred to — reconciliation — would allow Democrats to pass a reform bill with only 51 votes in the Senate rather than the usual requirement of 60.

Klobuchar highlighted other goals the reform package could accomplish other than a Medicare-for-all public option.

"We need to put strong regulations on insurance companies so they can't punish people just because their family member gets sick," said Klobuchar. "The idea of a public option or something like it is to try to find a way to so that they can buy into something, and you can do it by allowing them to buy into the federal employee health-care plan."

Corker said both parties agreed that Americans should be able to buy health insurance at lower rates, but he used a different phrase than "public option."

"An exchange would do just that except people would be buying that through the private sector," Corker said. "Actually the insurance industry has agreed already that they're willing to come to the table and do away with this pre-existing conditions issue."

Klobuchar said she thought that Corker and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) would be "willing" to work with Democrats when Congress puts together the final version of the reform bill.

Alex Sundby
Alex Sundby is an associate news editor for CBSNews.com

8 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment


by Paerdagat September 8, 2009 10:03 AM EDT: Some examples of non-profit government-operated systems which have NOT put private systems out of business:

Post office competes with UPS, FedEx;
Public schools compete with numerous private and religious schools;
Local law enforcement competes with private security firms;
Public trash collection competes with private trash collection;
Medicare has not put private health insurance companies out of business for senior participants. They have just had to tailor their policies; just as private health insurance companies in England had to do.

If you want more than basic service, you can pay more and get what you want.; Reply to this comment


by rightbehind September 8, 2009 9:02 AM EDT: We're about to find out if there is meat on the bones of some of these democrats. Bring on the vote!; Reply to this comment


by rightbehind September 8, 2009 8:54 AM EDT: It's the yellow dogs in the senate that are holding things up. Forget the senate bill. They keep trying to push through poop. They always want to compromise. Their ideas include "trigger" the Trojan horse and co-op the bait and switch. Both ideas to divide and conquer and buy their time. I say grow a spine and vote public health care straight up or down! It's time a patient gets what's best for them instead of what's best for the stockholders! Bring on the vote!; Reply to this comment


by didserve September 8, 2009 8:48 AM EDT: Most of the Senators are in the pocket of those who are making money on the broken system as it is!

The others have been compromised with pictures of them with women little boys or chickens!

This debate is going no where!

and the American People will loose! AGAIN!; Reply to this comment


by rightbehind September 8, 2009 8:32 AM EDT: No to "trigger" the Trojan horse! No to the co-ops bait and switch. No more divide and conquer! They are just trying to buy time to save a corrupt system. No nation that has public health care will give it up. We pay more for health care than any other nation on the planet and it's rated 37TH just above Cuba a country with no resources. Write a good bill if the republicans want no part of it you know it's good! Vote public health care straight up or down. We win either way. We might even get both. A strong Public plan and a list of politicians to send packing. Bring on the vote!; Reply to this comment

by rightbehind September 8, 2009 8:30 AM EDT

Public option or list of politicians to send packing. We don't want, "trigger" the Trojan horse or the co op bait and switch buy their time status quo senate plan. It 's our intent to clean out the yellow dogs. Grow a spine and take your pick. People should not have to suffer so health insurance agents can have a phony baloney market.

Reply to this comment


by misha256 September 8, 2009 9:44 AM EDT: by HopefulButNotStupid September 8, 2009 9:14 AM EDT

Even Pat Buchanan disagrees with you; Rowdy.

http://townhall.com/columnists/PatBuchanan/2009/01/20/is_gop_still_a_national_party?page=2