Latest United States Senate Committee on Finance Stories

Committee for Economic Development Backs Effort to Improve Choice and Competition WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Committee for Economic Development (CED) today urged the Senate Finance Committee to amend the America's Health Future Act (sponsored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT)) by adopting the "Free Choice" amendment submitted Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). The "Free Choice" amendment is a key element of the Healthy Americans Act (S. 391) which was...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on the proposal released by Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee: "Assuring the affordability of health care for all Americans and requiring accountability for insurance companies are two of our central principles in this reform. "We look forward to studying the impact of the Senate Finance Committee Chairman's mark on America's families and businesses, and on...

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Mark Ganz, president and chief executive officer of Regence BlueCross BlueShield, regarding introduction today of the health reform bill for consideration by the Senate Finance Committee: "I applaud Chairman Baucus and his working group of senators for their bipartisan work on health reform. By introducing a bill today, Chairman Baucus has moved our nation forward on the difficult yet important road to reform. "For...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "The differences between the House and Senate health care reform bills aren't just for wonky policy experts," say former Chief of Staff to the House Aging Committee Bob Weiner and Analyst Jordan Osserman. "They translate to real differences in Americans' lives." In an op-ed column in today's Palm Beach Post, "THE PROGNOSIS FOR REFORM," Weiner and Osserman contend, "With no public option, the Senate Finance bill, developed by Republicans and...

Republican and Democratic senators could be nearing an agreement on a new healthcare reform bill, according to Republican Senator Charles Grassley.Grassley is one of three Republicans who sit on the Senate Finance Committee, which is currently discussing the future of the healthcare bill."Will we get it done so we can get a bill to the other members by this weekend because there is a certain time you've got to give people to study it? We're on the edge, and almost there," Grassley...

In a 23-18 vote, the House Ways and Means Committee approved new legislation on Friday that would impose a sizeable tax on wealthy Americans to fund the estimated $1 trillion in costs for healthcare reform.The new taxes would be imposed on couples earning more than $350,000 a year.  However, critics of the plan say it would do little, if anything, to curb rising healthcare costs, and that it would significantly harm small businesses that fall into this tax category.   The bill is...

WASHINGTON, July 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Steele will outline a unifying set of core Republican principles for health care reform, spelling out what Republicans are for and what they are against while seeking to correct common myths about what President Obama claims his health care plan would do for ordinary Americans. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080917/NPCLOGO)The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has already begun work on a health care reform...

WASHINGTON, July 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) announced today that it has filed comments strongly opposing a Senate Finance Committee staff draft of legislation that if enacted would specifically target the pulp and paper industry for repeal of a vital tax credit. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080131/DC12982LOGO) The tax credit in question gives users a tax credit for the use of the alternative fuel when it is mixed with very small amounts of...

U.S. pharmaceutical, medical and insurance industries have geared up to influence healthcare reform with help from Washington insiders, company records show. More than 350 lobbyist working the corridors in Washington for various healthcare companies were either elected officials or members of a congressional office, The Washington Post reported Monday. Lobbyists include former members of Congress, such as Richard Armey and Richard Gephardt, both of whom now work for a pharmaceutical firm...

Congress is planning to make sweeping changes in the U.S. healthcare system that would mandate individuals and businesses to purchase health insurance, according to a draft Senate bill.The bill also proposes the creation of a public insurance option to compete with private insurers.The legislation, which seeks to provide health coverage for all Americans, would also prohibit insurance companies from refusing coverage to anyone due to health history, and would outlaw annual or lifetime...