Nelson amendment fails, Senate may dump the public option

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted 54-45 to table the Nelson amendment and prevent it from being add to health care reform legislation. The roll call vote is here. All Republicans (Update - Correction -Snowe and Collins voted to table it and Dorgan (D-ND) voted against tabling) voted against tabling the bill along with Democratic Senators Nelson (NE), Pryor (AR), Bayh (IN), Casey (PA), Conrad (ND) and Kaufman (DE).

The article also notes that it appears the public option may be jettisoned to help the bill pass the Senate.

A potential alternative was taking shape, several officials said, including a private insurance arrangement to be supervised by the federal agency that oversees the system through which lawmakers purchase coverage. Additionally, Medicare would be opened up to uninsured Americans beginning at age 55, a significant expansion of the large government health care program that currently serves the over-65 population.