Senators Want New Health Care Plan for Everyone but Themselves

On Tuesday, the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page amendment courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn that would require all Members and their staffs to enroll in any new government-run health plan. Yet all Democrats -- with the exceptions of acting chairman Chris Dodd, Barbara Mikulski and Ted Kennedy via proxy -- voted nay. Judd Gregg was the only GOP Senator to oppose it, on humanitarian grounds. He is quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying about the public option "it will be so bad that I don't think anyone should be forced to join."