Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Meagan Wiseley, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-M.D.) told reporters Tuesday that the proposed expansion of Medicare being discussed in the Senate is "an idea worth consideration."

"I think [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid obviously is trying to get his caucus to a place where he can get 60 votes to pass a health reform bill," he said. "I congratulate him for the extraordinary Herculean efforts that he is making to bring 60 votes together to get something done in the Senate."

The expansion would allow individuals from the ages of 55 to 64 to buy into Medicare and would also create a non-profit funded healthcare plan for those who are not covered through their employers.

Hoyer also said Congress is currently working on job creation legislation, using left over TARP money for infrastructure projects and job creation. He said depending on the components of the bill, it could cost between $75 billion and $150 billion.

"100 billion, 150 billion, 75 billion, those are all figures that are being talked about, depending on what the component parts are," he said. "And I don't think anybody feels that this package will be the only package in terms of jobs that we'll look at over the next two or three months."