HELP Markup on Health Care Bill

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is beginning negotiations over the Affordable Health Choices Act. Sen. Chris Dodd is chairing the effort, as Sen. Ted Kennedy remains too sick to attend (which means, sadly, that he is gravely, gravely ill). The early moments have not been particularly harmonious: Jon Cohn reports that Sen. Mike Enzi distributed a press release on the flawed Congressional Budget Office estimate. Karen Tumulty notes that Republicans have filed almost 400 amendments against the bill. Sen. John McCain sharply interrupted Dodd's opening statements to berate him for holding a hearing in advance of a serious cost estimate from the CBO.

Which is all to say, it should be an interesting day on the HELP Committee. And you can watch it here.