Sens. Harry Reid, Max Baucus and Chris Dodd held a press conference today before meeting with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to merge the HELP and Finance Committee health care reform bills.
“I believe in a public option, but remember, I said ‘I do,'” Reid said, attempting to show his support for the public option without promising it will make it into the merged bill. As Sen. Chuck Schumer said last night, the public option is now in Reid’s hands.
Baucus, whose committee yesterday passed their version of the bill, was positively giddy.
“Frankly, I am excited,” he said, saying that the differences between what the parties want “pale in comparison” to the things they agree on. “We are united.”
“All senators who want health care reform are in the room,” he said.
