Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) has signed onto a letter calling for Senate leadership to insert a public option into the health care reform bill via reconciliation.
Mikulski’s office confirmed to TPMDC that she signed the letter this morning. She is the 15th senator to sign onto the letter, written by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), which will be sent to Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Greg Sargent reports today that Sens. Barbara Boxer (CA), Jack Reed (RI) and Tom Udall (NM) have also added their names to the letter.
Under reconciliation, 51 senators would have to vote for the provision.
Sens. Bernie Sanders (VT), Al Franken (MN), Patrick Leahy (VT), John Kerry (MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Michael Bennet (CO), Sherrod Brown (OH), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Jeff Merkley (OR), Dianne Feinstein (CA) and Roland Burris (IL) have all signed.
