Washington (CNSNews.com) – Only one Republican -- Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine -- voted in favor of the Senate Finance Committee's Democrat-written version of the health-care reform bill. The measure passed 14-9 on Tuesday afternoon.
“My vote today is my vote today. It doesn’t forecast what my vote will be tomorrow,” Snowe said in her closing statement before voting on the legislation sponsored by the chairman of the Finance Committee, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.).
The liberal Maine Republican also argued that provisions inthe Baucus bill would put an end to illicit practices by health insurance companies.
“Now, the mark (bill) before us produces some bipartisan landmark reforms, which (would) end the unfair, flagrant insurance practice policies that have devastated Americans for decades,” Snowe said.
However, Snowe also said that she agrees with her Republican colleagues that a health-care bill should not increase government intervention or create new bureaucracies.
“At the same time I have shared my Republicans’ concerns about vast governmental bureaucracies and governmental intrusions that’s why I opposed the amendment for the so-called public option,” she said.
The Republican senator argued that even though the bill is not perfect, it was her duty as a member of Congress to “try to solve the health-care problem” in America.
“So is this bill all that I would want? Far from it. Is it all that it can be? No, but when history calls, history calls,” explained Snowe.
“I happen to think that the consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of Congress to take every opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to solve the monumental issues of our time,” she explained.
Before calling for a final vote, Baucus said he had met his goal of reporting out a bill “that we can virtually carry and get passed and be the final basis for health-care reform that’s so needed in this country.”
Now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will merge the Senate Finance Committee version with the one produced by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee. The combined bill will then be debated on the Senate floor.