The only Democrats in their seats when the Senate Finance Committee reconvened after lunch to return to the markup of the body’s health reform bill were Chairman Max Baucus and Jay Rockefeller. The latter had to be back on time to give his opening statement. Over the break, journalists, including me, were digging through the revised mark …
Opening statements took up the entire first half of the day. And more to come – Senators Jay Rockefeller and Pat Roberts will give their statements after the committee returns at 2:45 p.m. A few more highlights since my last post:
One provision in Chairman Max Baucus’s original Chairman’s Mark is a new tax on so-called “Cadillac” health insurance plans. The original Baucus mark calls for insurers to pay a 35% tax on plans that cost more than $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for families. The logic here is that very expensive plans that require little or no out …
Hi Swamplanders. I’m staff writer Kate Pickert and I’ve been covering the health care reform debate for Time.com. I’m joining the Swampland crew for a few days this week to help Jay Newton-Small and Karen Tumulty cover the Senate Finance Committee markup of Chairman Max Baucus’s health reform bill. Here in the Hart Senate Office …