Harry Reid is holding a presser now announcing his decision on how to merge the two Senate bills. The main news is that it will include a public option with an opt out provision.
There’s still a lot to be sorted through here. Reid has apparently sent a number of alternative provisions to the Congressional Budget Office to be “scored,” i.e. the cost of the provision calculated. It suggests at a minimum that Reid is giving himself back up plans if he doesn’t get the votes on a public option. But interestingly, a public option with a “trigger” — supported by Olympia Snowe and reportedly by the President, too — was not sent to CBO for scoring.
David Kurtz
David Kurtz is Managing Editor and Washington Bureau Chief of Talking Points Memo where he oversees the news operations of TPM and its sister sites.