Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid(D-Nv) release $848 billion 2,074 page bill on Wednesday. The bill claims to save $130 billion over in 10 years according the nonpartisan congressional budget office.
The bill aims to cover 94% of the uninsured. The bill allows states to opt out of the proposed program.
“Tonight begins the last leg of this journey” to bring health reform to the nation, Reid said in announcing the bill.
The differences between Senate and House bill not only allows states to opt out. There is an excise tax on so-called “Cadillac” Health Care policies. The biggest difference is on abortion. The Senate bill has fewer restrictions on abortion versus the House bill which bans federal funding on the procedure.
The Senate bill will cut the federal deficit by$650 billion in its second decade.
Senate moderates like the savings in the bill however Senator Ben Nelson(D-Nv) says he prefers a bill that allows states to opt in instead.
“There will be opportunities to amend the legislation, and if it is amended to the satisfaction of several people, then it will have enough votes to pass on the back end,” Nelson said. “If not, it won’t. That is the risk.”
Other Democratic senators including Evan Bayh are hopeful. “If the bottom line is what it appears to be, that’s an encouraging thing. … But you’ve got to trust but verify,” said Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), who said he would vote to allow debate.
