Open Thread on Healthcare

CNN: Senate Democrats plan to force vote on public option—"Two members of the Senate Finance Committee plan to put their Democratic colleagues on the spot on Tuesday by offering amendments on whether to give uninsured Americans the opportunity to join a government insurance program. While health care reform legislation in the House and an alternate plan in the Senate have included a so-called 'public option,' the Finance Committee's version, which Republicans haven't rejected completely, has not included a government-sponsored provision. Sens. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Chuck Schumer of New York planned to offer the amendments last week before the action was delayed."

The Hill: Harkin says he has the votes to pass public option bill in the Senate—"Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said that the Senate 'comfortably' has a majority of votes to pass the public plan, and that he believes Democrats can muster 60 votes to break a filibuster."

New York Times: Abortion Fight Complicates Debate on Health Care—"Abortion opponents in both the House and the Senate are seeking to block the millions of middle- and lower-income people who might receive federal insurance subsidies to help them buy health coverage from using the money on plans that cover abortion. And the abortion opponents are getting enough support from moderate Democrats that both sides say the outcome is too close to call. Opponents of abortion cite as precedent a 30-year-old ban on the use of taxpayer money to pay for elective abortions."

Media Matters: More Americans Believe in UFOs Than Oppose a Public Option—"More Americans believe in UFOs (34%) than oppose a public option (26%). The debate is over."

Also see: Steve and Digby on the latest bit of fuckery from Senator Ben Nelson (D-Dipshittia).

Discuss.