In what will surely be contentious series of affairs, Democrats will meet several times this week to discuss the status of health care reform in the upper chamber, and to try to reach intraparty consensus on key issues. Members will huddle at a regularly scheduled caucus lunch on Tuesday, an impromptu caucus meeting on Wednesday, and at a meeting of the Democratic Policy Committee on Thursday, hoping to find common ground.
Party leaders will face a tough task. The caucus remains divided between those who hope to mimic what the House of Representatives has done so far–to pass robust reform packages in all key committees–and those who want to forge a weakened middle ground. The latter members, led by Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), and Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) insist that Democrats can’t push a partisan bill, including a public option, past a Republican filibuster.
