Senate committee delays ObamaCare for CBO cost analysis

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - The Senate Finance Committee bowed to pressure from members and constituents alike in postponing a vote on the Baucus plan for overhauling the American health-care system. Democrats had tried to push the bill out of committee before the Congressional Budget Office could review the proposal and project its costs, fearing that another harsh analysis could kill the Senate effort before it has a chance for a floor vote. With its gimmicky excise tax on insurers offering “Cadillac plans” and the Chairman’s Mark fee, the chances of a positive analysis seems mighty slim:

Senators learned Monday that a committee vote on health-care reform will be pushed back to later this week, and perhaps into next week, as they await an estimate on how much the overhaul would cost.

But if the news of the delayed vote disappointed them, Democratic leaders in the Senate took heart from pro-reform statements from some high-profile Republicans, including former Senate majority leader Bill Frist and former health and human services secretary Tommy G. Thompson.

The Senate Finance Committee wrapped up work Friday on a reform bill, but committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) promised his members that before voting they would have a “reasonable” amount of time to review the bill’s price tag, as assessed by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. That report, committee aides said Monday, will arrive later than expected.

The panel’s vote is expected to be close, and passage could hinge on a handful of senators who have indicated that the CBO’s report may sway them.