Liberal, Moderate Senators to Huddle This Afternoon
A group of liberal and moderate Senate Democrats negotiating an alternative to the public insurance option as part of the health care reform bill is set to meet again Monday afternoon.An impasse over the public insurance option is one of a few key issues preventing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) from putting together the 60 votes needed to pass his $848 billion health care reform package, and Reid has asked this group to generate a compromise plan.Among the negotiating group’s participants are Democratic Sens. Tom Carper (Del.), Russ Feingold (Wis.); Tom Harkin (Iowa); Mary Landrieu (La.); Ben Nelson (Neb.); Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.); Charles Schumer (N.Y.); and Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, both of Arkansas.