Confidence

Senate to Add Public Option

Polls and party support lead Dems to include in bill.

It is a major sign that Democrats are confident that they have the votes for a significant overhaul of our nation's health-care system: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday that the new bill will include a public option. The option would allow a government-run insurance offering for those who do not get coverage from their employers—with the key feature that states could opt out of the program. The move is another turn in a long debate. Today, 55 percent of Americans say they favor a government-run program. But one American may not: Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe wanted a "trigger," which might lead to a public option down the road but not soon. But the centrist Democrat Sen. Max Baucus said, "any provision, including a public option, that will ensure choice and competition and get the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate."