WASHINGTON(AP) – Joe Six-Pack may have to hand over nearly $2 more for a case of beer to help provide health insurance for all.

Details of the proposed beer tax are described in a Senate Finance Committee document distributed to lawmakers before a closed-door meeting Wednesday. Senators are focusing on how to pay for expanding health insurance for an estimated 50 million uninsured Americans, a cost that could range to some $1.5 trillion over 10 years. You can't raise that from beer money alone. "Nothing's pushed off the table," Baucus told reporters after the daylong meeting. He said senators have come closer on some issues, but much remains to be resolved. While many of the revenue raisers involve obscure provisions of federal law, most consumers can relate to a beer tax. Taxes on wine and hard liquor would also go up. And there might be a new tax on soda and other sugary drinks blamed for contributing to obesity. A tax of 3 cents per 12-ounce drink would raise about $50 billion over 10 years, according to congressional estimates. Diet drinks, however, wouldn't be taxed.

The idea behind the proposed increases is to tax lifestyle choices that contribute to rising medical costs. Obesity puts people at risk for diabetes and heart problems. Alcohol abuse is a risk factor in several types of cancer, liver disease and psychological problems. The soft drink industry and beer and wine producers are already lobbying to stop the proposals before they gain traction. The tax increases would lead to job losses for workers and higher costs for recession weary consumers, say the industries. Wine makers are also pointing to studies that suggest a glass a day can be good for health. "Singling out wine for higher taxes to reform health care is misguided because wine is part of a healthy diet and lifestyle for millions of Americans," said Robert P. Koch, president of the Wine Institute, which represents California's industry.

HERE ARE THE NUMBERS:

Wine taxes would rise by 49 cents per bottle, from the current 21 cents.

And the tax on hard liquor would increase by 40 cents per fifth, from the current $2.14.

Percentage-wise, wine drinkers would take the biggest hit, a 233 percent tax increase per bottle. The Wine Institute said the tax increase would be even bigger for wines with a higher alcohol content.

Hard liquor would see the smallest proportional increase, 19 percent per fifth.

The beer tax would rise by 145 percent per six-pack. It was Benjamin Franklin who said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Given all the stuff in the Constitution or whatever about “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” - i.e. beer - it could be that the passage of this bill is a constitutional right.