Eighteen Senators have signed a letter asking Harry Reid to push for the public option using reconciliation, which would allow Democrats to pass it with just 51 votes. (Republicans may be able to slow or halt the processing with procedural objections.)
Appearing on MSNBC tonight, Sebelius said the administration would back that decision.
"Certainly. If it's part of the decision of the Senate leadership to move forward, absolutely," she told Rachel Maddow.
Look, the public option isn't really enough to make this massive giveaway to health insurers and providers worth passing. But it's the bare minimum to make me even consider supporting it. Polls uniformly show that the public is overwhelmingly in favor of it. It is undoubtedly an improvement to the bill. And the best the White House can do is promise to support it if the Senate leads the way?
How about having the president get on national television and fight for it? It's the easiest argument to make. Does the insurance lobby really hold so much power over the administration that they can't lead the way on legislation that the public absolutely wants?
Sadly, yes.
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