Oregon Public Broadcasting

Senator Ron Wyden has dug in his heels on a critical health care bill under construction in the Senate Finance Committee. April Baer reports.

Wyden wrote a New York Times op-ed last week saying he felt all bills in committee could benefit from more consumer choice. But in a new Congressional Quarterly Politics video, he gets much more specific.

Talking to CQ, Wyden expressed reservations about the process turning into a collection of individual changes that satisfy lobbyists, but don't hold costs down or make structural changes.

Ron Wyden: "And I made it clear yesterday that unless the bill changes, and all Americans, not just a select few have real choice and competition, I don't think that's going to be health security, and that's not going to be something that I'm going to be able to support."

Wyden's statement is important because of his status as a Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee.

Committee chair Max Baucus, who drafted the bill, is doing a careful balancing act this week.

The Committee has more Democrats than Republicans, but none of those Democrats has explicitly promised to vote for the bill yet.

The markup process, adding amendments, continues through the week.