Without GOP, Baucus forges ahead on health
WASHINGTON - After months of bipartisan negotiations on a health care overhaul bill, Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, made it official yesterday that he’s moving ahead without Republican support. He told reporters he intends to unveil a detailed outline of legislation today and convene the committee next week to vote on it.
Despite numerous gestures to Republicans, Baucus fell short in his quest to assemble a coalition of senators from both parties behind his plan.
Baucus’s proposal is certain to shun the liberals’ call for the government to sell insurance, and rely instead on co-ops to offer coverage in competition with private industry. His approach includes a requirement for individuals to buy insurance, with financial penalties for those who don’t. Rather than a mandate for larger businesses to provide coverage for employees, they would be required to defray the cost of any government subsidies their employees would qualify for.
“I expect by the time we finally vote in the committee, there will be Republican support,’’ Baucus said, but other Democrats said they believed Senator Olympia Snowe, Republican of Maine, may be the only one of the panel’s 10 GOP members to vote for the package.
-- Associated Press
Republicans have long been after ACORN, which they accused last year of registering thousands of fake voters.
ACORN - the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now - is facing scrutiny after two conservative activists posing as a prostitute and her pimp released hidden-camera videos in which ACORN employees in Baltimore gave advice on house-buying and filling out income tax forms.
“Simply put, ACORN should not receive another penny of American taxpayers’ money,’’ said Representative John Boehner of Ohio, who also sent a letter to President Obama urging him to use his executive power to end funding and cut off ties with ACORN.
Also yesterday, Senator Mike Johanns, a Nebraska Republican, wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting an investigation of ACORN, citing reports that the group may “have been engaged in illegal activity’’ by aiding and abetting tax evasion, prostitution, human trafficking, fraud, and conspiracy.
-- Globe staff
Specter, a longtime Republican, switched political parties in April, giving Democrats a valuable 60-vote majority in the Senate. The White House immediately said it would help Specter defend his seat, starting with a fund-raiser yesterday that was expected to raise $2.5 million.
-- Associated Press
