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BREAKING: Snowe to vote 'yes' on Finance Committee healthcare bill
Snowe
joined the committee's Democrats to vote in favor of Chairman Max
Baucus's (D-Mont.) health reform proposal, characterizing her vote as a
move to support moving forward with landmark healthcare reform.
"The
mark before us today produces bipartisan, landmark reforms," said
Snowe. "The consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of moving a
healthcare reform bill.
"I happen to think the consequences of
inaction dictate the urgency of Congress," she added. "There are many,
many miles to go in this legislative journey ... At the same time, they
want us to continue."
Snowe was being watched closely for how
she would vote on the bill in the committee after being courted
aggressively by the Obama administration and Democratic leaders in
Congress. She had also come under pressure, though, from GOP
leadership, who had threatened repercussions in her committee standing
if she sided with Democrats on the health proposal.
The Maine
centrist maintained in her remarks that she remains opposed to a public
(or "government-run") option in health reform, an element absent within
the Finance bill but which serves as a centerpiece of the health bill
reported out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)
Committee.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will be
charged with merging the two bills in the coming days and weeks, and
Snowe insisted her support is conditional, based on changes that could
be made as the Senate Democratic leadership moves the bill forward and
it is amended on the Senate floor.
"My vote today doesn't forecast what my vote will be tomorrow," Snowe said.
Snowe's
decision visibly pleased Baucus, who has been working hard over the
past months to garner some Republican support for his health proposal.
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