The Break For 12/19/09: CBO Score In For Senate Bill, Predictably Up From Last Score

Photo From Harry Hamburg/AP/File

As Ben Nelson is in for the 60 vote (and Republicans cheer for his moves), here is the CBO score:

The CBO score of the final Senate health care bill is in, with an $871 billion price tag.

That's up from the last score, $849 billion.

No indication when the Senate floor vote will happen yet next week (if it still does happen). But Harry Reid can be sort of happy, as the concessions and craving to Nelson's demands seem to have won that disgruntled Senator over:

In order to secure the support of all 58 Democrats, and both independents who caucus with his party, Reid had to make significant concessions to centrists, including eliminating the public option, and tightening the language restricting federal funds from paying for abortion.

He also apparently had to guarantee that the federal government would cover the entire cost of expanding Medicaid in the state of Nebraska--home to Sen. Ben Nelson. Reid insisted today that this Medicaid agreement, contained in the manager's amendment was a "small part" of winning Nelson's support for the legislation, but it's indicative of the sort of political trading that was necessary for Democratic leadership to win unanimous support for the legislation from the caucus.

The CBO blog on everything is here if you want to read.

And by the way, I really feel for that Senate clerk that has to read the entire manager's Amendment on the floor. God bless her.