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Monday, July 7, 2008

Baucus: Gut sense of wiggle room on veto

By Larry Lipman | Monday, July 7, 2008, 02:26 PM

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus just told reporters he has a “gut sense there is some wiggle room,” regarding President Bush’s threat to veto the House-passed Medicare bill that would avert a 10.6 percent physician pay cut.

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Baucus acknowledged he has not had any communications with the White House which would indicate that Bush would not follow through on the threat, but the senator said he would not describe the threat as “Shermanesque,” — there was “some daylight.”

Since the Senate came up one vote short of the 60 needed for cloture before it recessed two weeks ago, Baucus said he’s received indications from some GOP senators that they might change their vote if there is another cloture vote, possibly Wednesday or Thursday. But Baucus wouldn’t say which senators have indicated they might switch.

Baucus said the president may be dissuaded from vetoing the bill depending on the size of the vote. The House passed the bill with a 355-59 veto-proof margin last month.

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