Baucus: Committee will move ahead with bill regardless of Republican support

Sep 10 2009

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., "said Wednesday that he will push ahead with a comprehensive health care reform bill with — or without — Republican support and start a committee markup the week of Sept. 21," Politico reports.  

Baucus' announcement comes "ahead of a meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon with the bipartisan Group of Six Senate negotiators, who had been trying to reach an agreement for months. It's unclear how those talks will be affected by the announcement," Politico writes, adding that Baucus' signal that he will move ahead, gives "President Barack Obama a significant talking point for his speech Wednesday night before a joint session of Congress. The president will be able to point to progress in the five congressional committees with jurisdiction over health care" (Brown, 9/9).

"We have a path for moving forward. This is our moment." Baucus said to reporters. He also said that he thinks some Republicans will ultimately "be on board," according to CNN (9/9).