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According to a live blog of the Senate Finance Committee’s markup of the health care reform bill, New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., does not support a public option that is tied to Medicare for two years, as Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-W. Va., is proposing in his amendment to the bill. However, Bingaman does seem to support another public option proposal put forward by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Video of the hearing is being live streamed on CSPAN-3.
According to the live blog on Talking Points Memo:
12:19 p.m.: Bingaman opposes Rockefeller’s public option on the grounds that it’s tied to Medicare for two years, though he supports ‘other versions’ (i.e. Schumer’s)
Fire Dog Lake is also live blogging the proceedings and has this about Bingaman:
12:10 – Bingaman (member of the gang of six) is confused about how Rockefeller’s plan would be run. Rockefeller says his plan’s administrator wouldn’t have anything to do with running the plan.
Bingaman makes it clear that Rockefeller’s amendment is only tied to Medicare for the first two years and after that it would be run similar to Schumer’s plan.
CBO scored Rockefeller’s public option as saving $50 billion. It would start off with about 1/3 of the market in the first few years and slowly lose market share until it only has about 1/4 of costumers on the exchange.
12:20 – Bingaman thinks it is clear that there needs to be more competition. Bingaman does not want a public option tied to Medicare. Rockefeller thinks it is important to give it that two years to help get it started. Bingaman thinks the co-ops have promise but a better idea is a public option like the one in the HELP committee.
Schumer and Rockefeller have been working together on their separate public option amendments, but it is unsure if both will be voted on
