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Liberals offer guarded praise for Reid's opt-out compromise
By: Susan Ferrechio
Chief Congressional Correspondent
10/27/09 8:38 AM EDT
The head of the biggest and most liberal faction in the House said health care reform in Congress has "a long way to go," from the proposal announced Monday by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
Reid has written legislation that would create a government-run health insurance option that would allow states to "opt out."
The House bill includes the public option, but it is not optional. Rep. Lynn Woolsey. D-Calif., and the 80-plus members of the House Progressive Caucus that she leads prefer the House version.
"If we vote out a strong public option in the House, one that saves money and covers most people and ads the best competition we can find, then I think that when we go to conference with the Senate we will come from a position of strength," Woolsey told me.
While Woolsey did not praise the Senate version announced by Reid, she said she was still pleased with the result.
"Two weeks ago the message was there would not be a public option out of the Senate, so I think they've come a long way in the last few weeks," Woolsey said. "And when we go to conference, we'll conference out a public plan."
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