Conservatives In Dem Caucus Push For More Concessions
December 18, 2009 by Personal Liberty News Desk
Appearing on weekend talk show programs, prominent lawmakers that caucus with the Democrats have called on the party to offer more concessions in exchange for their support of the healthcare reform bill.
Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), told CBS Face the Nation that they will continue to oppose the bill if the Medicare "buy-in" option for those aged 55-64 is not removed.
The proposal was an attempt to introduce an alternative to the government-run insurance option.
According to Nelson, the Medicare buy-in idea is "the forerunner of the ultimate single-payer plan," and he also said he could not support a bill without tighter restrictions on federal funding for abortion. Meanwhile, Lieberman cautioned that "we don’t need to keep adding on to the back of this horse until the horse breaks down and we get nothing done," quoted by CNN.
The Connecticut legislator added that the Democrats will have to eliminate a government insurance program focused on home healthcare for the disabled and ensure better cost-control provisions, according to the news provider.
Given the unanimous opposition from the GOP, Senate Democrats need all 60 votes in their caucus to have a chance of passing the healthcare bill. 
You can opt-out at any time. We protect your information like a mother hen. We will not sell or rent your email address to anyone for any reason.
