Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) said that "he hopes to have a bipartisan deal on a health care reform bill by the end of the day," Politico reports.
"He made the remarks after huddling for about two hours with five Finance Committee members most closely involved in the negotiations. It was the first time Baucus acknowledged a time frame for reaching an agreement."
Earlier, Baucus told the New York Times that President Obama was hindering a bipartisan deal "by opposing a tax on some employer-provided health insurance benefits."