No Public Option Debate Until Tuesday

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus just opened today’s health reform bill markup by saying amendments related to a public option will not be introduced and debated until Tuesday. He said intends to close the hearing around noon today and won’t reconvene the markup until Tuesday. Democratic Senators Jay Rockefeller and Chuck Schumer had said last night they intended a public option debate to happen today, but possibly because of the shortness of today’s session, Baucus decided to put off the debate until next week.