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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday rejected a U.S. attempt by Republicans to delay final vote on a draft health care reform, as lawmakers work slowly in a series of amendments about its cost and scope.

Republicans demanded more information about costs and asked the commission to reduce the pace of deliberations on the proposed health care reform made by the head of the panel, Max Baucus that a vote expected later this week.

Democrats said the request was a tactic to stall the highest priority in domestic policy of U.S. President Barack Obama, reform $ 2.5 trillion health system to control costs and expand coverage to some 46 million people without social work in America.

In the first of several votes the day that defined by party lines, the committee rejected the proposal by Sen. Jim Bunning to delay final vote on the panel to complete the drafting and to budget experts estimate its total cost.

Baucus said Bunning's proposal would create a delay of at least two weeks before the Congressional Budget Office could complete its final analysis on the project.

If it takes two weeks, it takes two weeks, said Republican Olympia Snowe, the only member of his party could support the creation of the final project. We're talking about billions of dollars in the final analysis. What's the rush? He said.

Instead, the panel approved by a vote supported the Baucus proposal to publish the preliminary estimated cost for the commission on the website of the committee before the final vote, a move that opens the possibility that the decision is taken next week.

The panel began work in hundreds of possible amendments to the plan, the last of five projects pending in Congress on health system reform, which has been delayed by political wrangling and intense criticism from various quarters.

There is slow progress in this committee, said Democrat John Rockefeller, complaining about Republican amendments that made the panel achieved little progress until noon.

SLOWDOWN

Republicans asked several times to slow down the deliberations by the health reform, against the Democrats, trying to give impetus to the debate and prevent the opposition to hinder their treatment, as did during the August recess.

Legislators rejected a Republican attempt to prevent the agency administering the government insurance program for seniors that prohibit private firms to express their position on reform law.

The move came after Republican Humana Inc. sent a letter to members warning seniors that the reform would hurt millions of elderly and disabled could miss many of the benefits and services that become valuable to Medicare Advantage health plans.

health insurers accused the U.S. Medicare agency to intervene politically to investigate the letter from Human and Insurers warn others about the misleading emails sent to customers.

Republicans say it is an issue of freedom of expression, but Democrats said they had little to do with constitutional rights and more with corporate responsibilities.

Baucus also dismissed several Republican amendments to revise sections of the project on Medicare. The panel backed a Republican measure to ensure that any savings from Medicare is intended to strengthen the system.

The commission still faces a possible vote on an amendment proposed by Sen. Bill Nelson to increase rebates that drug companies pay the government for some low-income patients, which could jeopardize the industry agreement with the White House and Baucus.

Drug companies earlier this year agreed to pay U.S. $ 80,000 million for health care reform, but the amendment could more than double that figure to help reduce loa gap in prescription drug coverage for Medicare seniors.

Lawmakers began debating the amendment during The meeting Tuesday night, but will return to session until late Wednesday.

Under the plan, all U.S. citizens and legal residents would be required to obtain health insurance, with subsidies provided on a sliding scale to assist in their acquisition.

The plan would create a system of exchange based on the states, in which individuals and small businesses could buy insurance.

But it includes a new insurance program administered by the government-called public choice – that would compete with private companies, which it is included in the other four bills in Congress and is supported by Obama and the Democrats released.

Instead, the Baucus plan envisages the creation of a nonprofit cooperative to ensure competition with insurance companies.

(Editing by Alan Elsner Spanish)