Yes, it’s the return of the undead.
From The Hill:
The healthcare reform bill that hits the Senate floor will include a government-run public option insurance program, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) insisted Thursday.
Though the toughest decisions about combining the HELP Committee’s bill with a measure from the Finance Committee that lacks a public option lay in front of Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Harkin made clear that public option supporters have earned the right to insist their views prevail.
Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) won a huge boost to his centrist approach to healthcare reform Wednesday when the Congressional Budget Office announced that his bill would actually reduce the budget deficit while extending coverage to 29 million people – and without a public option.
But Harkin showed that does not indicate he and his committee are willing to accept a diminished role in shaping the legislation that the Senate will consider later this month.
Noting that three House committees have also approved bills including a public option, Harkin maintained that supporters of the proposal should hold sway.
Finder’s Fee: Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review Online