Sen. Baucus: I No Longer Expect Obamacare 'Train Wreck'

Despite famously calling the implementation of Obamacare a "huge train wreck," Sen. Max Baucus now says he doesn't expect such a disaster and would not vote to delay it.

Appearing on Fox Business Network's "Varney & Co." on Monday, Baucus, D-Mont., said that when he made the statement in April he meant that the Affordable Care Act would be a disaster only if those running it didn't implement it very well.

"Sometimes you've got to say something to get someone’s attention," Baucus told host Stuart Varney. "That was the whole point of it and we got their attention and worked to try to straighten things out."

Story continues below.



Baucus sounded less sure in April when he originally stated, "I just see a huge train wreck coming down." Baucus, serving as Senate Finance Committee Chairman, was addressing Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius during a routine budget hearing. His comments sparked controversy, and Obamacare opponents were quick to begin repeating his quote.

But Baucus told Varney he now thinks the White House is "doing a pretty good job" of getting the health care exchanges up and running. The fear that not all state exchanges would be ready in time for people to begin signing up on Oct. 1 originally sparked Baucus' comments.

"I don’t expect a train wreck," Baucus said. "I think the train is going to keep running, maybe not totally on time, but it’s going to be pretty efficient."