Blog - Carper's Compromise

Sen. Tom Carper [D, DE], one of the surprise “yes” votes on Schumer’s “level playing field” public option amendment yesterday, is floating his own public option compromise. Politico reports:

In a one-page document he began circulating last week, Carper suggests giving states the option of creating a competitor to private insurers, which could include a government plan, a network of co-ops, or a large purchasing pool modeled after the revered Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan. […]

In an interview Tuesday, Carper suggested his idea was getting a close look from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who will decide how to merge competing bills from the Senate Finance Committee and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

“If we report a bill out of committee, I hope it at least includes the co-op,” Carper said. “Then, as we attempt to merge that legislation with the HELP committee bill, a good compromise between where the HELP bill is with the public option and where we are with coops would be along the lines of what I just mentioned to you. It may occur during the merger of the two bills.”