From The Washington Post:
The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday rejected two Democratic amendments that would have created a government-run “public option” as part an overhaul of the nation’s health-insurance system, with the panel’s chairman bowing to staunch Republican opposition that he said would prevent final passage of a bill containing such a provision.
After an amendment offered by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) was voted down 15 to 8, the committee voted 13 to 10 to reject a second public-option provision introduced by Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). The committee chairman, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), voted against both politically volatile amendments, saying he feared that a bill including either one would not get the 60 votes it would need for passage by the full Senate.
