WRAPUP 1-Republicans ask US Senate to slow down on healthcare

* US Senate panel resumes slow consideration of healthcare

* Republicans demand committee slow down its debate

* Hundreds of amendments await panel votes

WASHINGTON, Sept 23 - The Senate Finance Committee made unsteady progress on Wednesday on a broad healthcare overhaul bill, working slowly through a crush of amendments as lawmakers battled over its cost and size.

Lawmakers resumed debate on Chairman Max Baucus's healthcare reform proposal, with Republicans repeatedly demanding more information on costs and calling for the committee to slow down its deliberations.

The Democratic-controlled panel was expected to begin voting on Wednesday on some of the 564 potential amendments to the plan, the last of five bills pending in Congress on U.S. President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

The $856 billion, 10-year proposal by Baucus reflects Obama's call for a broad healthcare overhaul to rein in costs, improve care, regulate insurers and expand coverage to many of the 46 million uninsured people living in the United States.

"The changes we are considering could have an enormous impact on our economy," said Republican Senator Jim Bunning, asking for a delay before a final committee vote on the bill so its language could be finalized and budget experts could estimate its full cost.

Democratic Senator John Kerry said that was "fundamentally a delay tactic" by the Republicans.

Baucus, who hopes to complete committee work on the bill this week, said Bunning's proposal would mean a two- or three-week delay before the Congressional Budget Office could conclude its final analysis of the bill.

"We've never, ever, ever done that in this committee," Baucus said.

Instead, Baucus urged Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf on Tuesday to provide a speedy, preliminary analysis of the financial implications of the final bill, including any adopted amendments.

Elmendorf said analysts in his office have been working around the clock since the weekend to determine the budgetary implications of the hundreds of amendments.

CONCERNS ON AFFORDABILITY

Baucus adjusted his bill on Tuesday to address concerns from fellow Democrats about its affordability for consumers, by expanding subsidies to individuals, reducing penalties for not having insurance and adjusting a tax on high-cost insurance plans to ensure it does not hurt middle-class workers.

Under the plan, all U.S. citizens and legal residents would be required to obtain health insurance, with subsidies offered on a sliding scale to help people buy it.

The plan would create state-based exchanges where individuals and small businesses could shop for insurance. The proposal also would levy fees on healthcare companies and insurers, tax high-cost insurance plans and expand Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor.

It does not include a new government-run insurance program that would compete with private insurers, which is included in the other four bills in Congress.

Instead, the Baucus plan calls for the creation of a nonprofit cooperative as a way to ensure competition for insurers. Membership in the cooperatives would be offered through state insurance exchanges where small businesses and individuals could shop for health coverage.

Republicans tried to slow down the committee on Tuesday and said they were being stampeded into a vote.

Republican Senator Orrin Hatch delayed committee consideration of amendments during a night session by asking a lengthy series of questions of staff members, drawing rebukes from Democrats and an offer from Baucus to stay all night for his questions if he would allow the meeting to proceed.

"Are we going to be really serious about understanding this bill or are we just going to roll over everybody?" Hatch said. "I do think it's outrageous we have to do this in two or three days."