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Two Democratic senators released their version of a public option health care plan Wednesday, setting the stage for this year’s debate over how best to expand coverage to the millions of people who are uninsured. The proposal from Sens. Michael Bennet (Colo.) and Tim Kaine (Va.) would create a government-run health care plan on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges to compete with plans offered by private insurers with the hope of driving down costs. (Hellmann, 2/17)

While the eyes of the nation were on an impeachment trial, Democratic-led committees were quietly advancing President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill, hoping to deliver a bill to his desk by their self-imposed mid-March deadline. Democrats approved pieces of the bill in late-night sessions last week, ignoring widespread opposition from Republicans. Party leaders are eyeing House passage by the end of next week, aides said. (Kapur, 2/18)

Even as President Biden and congressional Democrats work to pass their $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, they’re bracing for the next big legislative scramble, over another massive spending bill that’s already drawing intense lobbying and threatening Democratic unity. Biden’s next package could be far pricier than the coronavirus bill. Although plans remain fluid, it’s expected to center on a major infrastructure investment, while also tackling other priorities such as clean energy, domestic manufacturing, and child and elder care. However, as the next must-pass bill in a divided Congress, where legislative opportunities will be scarce, it has unleashed a torrent of other demands, as advocates for issues from climate change to immigration push to get included. (Werner, Stein and Grandoni, 2/17)

On Feb. 11, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a plan to subsidize coverage in 2021 and 2022 for higher-income people who don't qualify for ACA subsidies currently, boost contributions to lower-income people who already qualify for financial help and max out allowances for anyone collecting unemployment benefits in 2021. The committee also aims to block the Internal Revenue Service from clawing back money from people who underestimated their 2020 income and received too much in ACA subsidies, and subsidize premium costs for COBRA coverage for some workers. The Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation estimate these moves will reduce the number of people without insurance by 800,000 in 2021, 1.3 million in 2022 and 400,000 in 2023. But they will come at a cost of more than $54 billion over the next decade. (Tepper, 2/17)

A new internal White House memo gives a behind-the-scenes look into the administration's strategy to up the pressure on Republicans to get on board with President Joe Biden’s costly COVID relief proposal, arguing GOP opposition to his American Rescue Plan is damaging the GOP and that "this is not a moment in the country when obstructionism is rewarded." (Nagle, 2/17)