Senators Conrad, Baucus and Lieberman keep telling us that the votes are not there in the Senate for a public plan. Instead of relying on those Senators' words, we should work on determining who will support the public plan and who we need to continue lobbying.
Below is a list of Senators and their stand on a public plan (if known):
For Public Plan (31 Senators):
Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Roland Burris (D-IL)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Bob Casey, (D-PA)
Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Ted Kaufman (D-DE)
Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Carl Levin (D-MI)
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Against Public Plan (40 Senators):
Max Baucus (D-MT)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Joe Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
John Barrasso (R-WY)
Bob Bennett (R-UT)
Kit Bond (R-MO)
Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Bob Corker (R-TN)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
John Ensign (R-NV)
Mike Enzi (R-WY)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Mike Johanns (R-NE)
Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
Mel Martinez (R-FL)
John McCain (R-AZ)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Jim Risch (R-ID)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Richard Shelby (R-AL)
John Thune (R-SD)
David Vitter (R-LA)
George Voinovich (R-OH)
Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Unknown (28 Senators) - Likely Yes Votes in Bold:
Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Mark Begich (D-AK)
Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Robert Byrd (D-WV)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Tom Carper (D-DE)
Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Kay Hagan (D-NC)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
John Kerry (D-MA)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Arlen Specter (D-PA)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
Mark Udall (D-CO)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Jim Webb (D-VA)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Richard Lugar (R-IN)
Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
So, with 30 Yes votes and 8 Possible Yes votes, we need to get 12 more votes to get to 50 and have Biden be the tie-breaker. Is it Possible?
Updated: To remove Collins from the possible yes group.
Updated 2: Does CBO's poor rating of Kennedy's health care plan (which included a public option) make it less likely that the Senate will pass a plan with a public option?