House Dem: Health bill risks 'disaster'

The House healthcare bill risks creating a "disaster," one Democratic lawmaker said, announcing his opposition to the legislation.

Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) said he would oppose the House healthcare bill, saying he prefers health legislation more akin to the bill released in October by the Senate Finance Committee.

"I am a supporter of health care reform who believes that the House leadership's approach is not the best we can do," Davis said in a statement. "Because we risk a disaster if we get this wrong, I will vote no on the House legislation and continue to root for a final bill that fixes the holes in our health care system and contains soaring costs in both the private and public sectors."

Davis has been skeptical of the House bill through different stages of the healthcare debate. The congressman has been waging a campaign for the governorship of Alabama at the same time, where he's sought to set a centrist tone in the traditionally conservative state.

Davis said the Finance committee bill "needs work," he said the Senate bill was better in creating an excise tax on high-value insurance plans and in avoiding an employer insurance mandates.

He defended his stance to Alabama Democrats, too, who he'll have to win over in a primary battle next year.

"These are all factors that should make even my more liberal constituents cautious about the virtues of the House bill," he said. "By the way, its much discussed public option will actually cost more than most private insurance plans."

Update, 1:30 p.m.: Davis's office maintains that the congressman does not believe that the House bill is a "disaster," and said he only disagrees with certain parts of the House healthcare bill.

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