The powerful chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is telling colleagues that he is ready to launch a health overhaul proposal.
The Associated Press reports that Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said "I am committed to getting health care reform done — done soon and done right," in a written statement. The AP adds "He is considering making a formal proposal soon to the small group of Senate negotiators who call themselves the 'Bipartisan Six.' Baucus held a nearly two-hour teleconference on Friday with the other five negotiators from his committee. The group has struggled for months to come up with an acceptable bipartisan bill. While careful to leave the door open to a long-sought deal, Baucus clearly signaled the time has come for him to move ahead" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 9/5).