Senator Joe Lieberman is an Independent. As romantically autonomous as that may sound, it also means he can count on support from neither the Democratic nor Republican Parties. It takes money to maintain a Senate seat. Why is this germane to health reform? Because a) money always is; and b) Mr. Lieberman by virtue of [...]

Just a reminder about tonight’s Health Reform Town Hall, sponsored by the 36th legislative delegation. Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Reps. Mary Lou Dickerson and Reuven Carlyle have invited the chair of the Senate Health Long-Term Care Committee, Sen. Karen Keiser, and the chair of the House Health Care Wellness Committee, Rep. Eileen Cody to discuss the potential impact of federal health reform efforts on Washington residents. The town hall is tonight at Ballard Swedish Medical Center (5300 Tall

October 26, 2009Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced today that the health reform bill he will bring to the Senate floor will have a public option, but it will include the provision that individual states could opt out if they want to.My guess is that the only reason Reid is now for the public option is because he knows what everyone else knows; that 6 in 10 Americans are in favor of the public option.Only a few months ago Reid said he was only for the public option if it was run not by t

As Democrats move to reconcile the Senate Finance bill with the far more progressive HELP legislation , some are hoping to attract the vote of so-called moderate Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). This morning, during an appearance on Fox Friends, Collins laid out her objections to the Senate Finance legislation. “I have a lot of concerns about the Baucus bill,” she began: - Better affordability measures: “I think it could very well drive up the costs of insurance for middle income famili

Kaiser Health News staff writers Eric Pianin and Mary Agnes Carey report on yesterday's Senate Finance Committee action.