For all the relative comity of the Senate HELP Committee hearings on legislation to strengthen the individual market for health insurance (Sept. 6, Sept. 7), a potential battle line of sort was drawn on Tuesday in statements by the chair, Lamar Alexander, and ranking member, Patty Murray. As the Times' Robert Pear reported:
“To get a result,” Mr. Alexander said, “Democrats will have to agree to something — more flexibility for states — that some may be reluctant to support. And Republicans will have to agree to something, additional funding through the Affordable Care Act, that some may be reluctant to support. That is called a compromise.”
The senior Democrat on the panel, Senator Patty Murray of Washington, said: “Threading this needle won’t be easy. But I do believe an agreement that protects patients and families from higher costs and uncertainty, and maintains the guardrails in our current health care system, is possible.”
