Last night, I reported that there could be a significant delay in the progress of health care reform legislation–that the committee could have to wait for weeks to get a complete CBO score before holding a final vote, or that, if the committee approves the legislation without a score, the full Senate will have to wait two weeks before taking up final health care legislation on the floor.
Right now in the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), is arguing in favor of an amendment sponsored by Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY), that would require the committee to wait until the final CBO score is completed before voting on it.
“I don’t know what’s happening that this has to be put on a fast track,” she said.
Chairman Max Baucus doesn’t support the proposal, and neither do most Democrats, but it’s quite telling that Snowe does.
Late update: The Bunning amendment failed (Snowe’s support notwithstanding), but the committee passed an alternative amendment that requires a preliminary CBO analysis be completed before a final vote. And that could still cause a few days’ delay.
