Harkin predicts public option will be law

Sen. Tom Harkin intends to lead the fight for a public option in health care reform and says he's confident Democrats will have the votes to send it to the president.

He rejects suggestions that a handful of moderate Democrats will block passage of sweeping reform including a public option that would offer a government-run insurance plan competing with private insurers.

“There's a lot of jockeying that goes on around here,” Harkin said. “People are always going to try to get what they want. They use their position to get something else that isn't even in this bill. Leverage, leverage, leverage.”

He's pleased that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid included the public option, which was part of the plan drafted by the Health Committee Harkin chairs, in the bill that will be debated on the floor.

Although Harkin prefers a straight up public option instead of Reid's opt-out option which would allow state legislatures to vote not to participate in the national health insurance plan, he could support that version.

“In the end, would I vote against bill because it has opt-out provision? No, probably not,” Harkin said.

It might not matter because Harkin doubted any state legislature would vote to opt out.