Panel vote on Baucus health bill Tuesday

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- The Senate Finance Committee will vote Tuesday on its $829 billion healthcare reform package, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said on the Senate floor.

Reid announced the vote while he praised the bill crafted by committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., for reducing the budget deficit by $81 billion over 10 years, The Hill reported.

"Yesterday, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the Finance Committee (bill) ... will reduce the deficit," Reid said. "It said in black and white that the Finance Committee bill will reduce our deficit, not just in the short term, but over the long term."

The legislation, one of five healthcare reform bills floating in Congress, also would expand coverage to 94 percent of Americans by 2019, up from 83 percent now, the CBO said.