Momentum builds for reconciliation; Harkin ID’d as supporter

Sen. Tom Harkin. Photo: WDCpix

Momemtum is growing for adding a public option to the health care reform bill during the reconciliation process: Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders has signed on to a letter urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to “bring for a vote before the full Senate a public health insurance option under budget reconciliation rules.” While Sen.Tom Harkin of Iowa hasn’t yet joined Sen. Al Franken and nine others in signing, he does appear to be a supporter of the idea.

Jason Hancock of the Iowa Independent reports that Harkin, long a champion of the public option, won’t go on record whether he supports the plan, but last month a Democratic candidate seems to have let the cat out of the bag. Hancock reports:

Several sources, including a a former state lawmaker running against Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, say Harkin was adamant in his support of using reconciliation to pass health care reform when he addressed a recent closed-door gathering of state Democratic leaders.

“Tom Harkin informed the Iowa Democratic State Central Committee in Des Moines this morning that, after consultation with President Obama, he will break the health care reform bill into budget and non-budget components,” Democratic candidate for Senate Bob Krause said last month in a statement. “The budget component will move through the Senate under the reconciliation process and the non-budget items will move as a new and separate bill.”

Reconciliation would allow a bill to pass with a simple majority vote, a move that would circumvent Republican promises to filibuster the legislation.

The Minnesota Independent has a request in to Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s office to see whether she intends to sign the letter as well.