Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri, a senior House Democrat and chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday that he intends to oppose his party’s health care reform bill. “At the end of the day, the American people should be able to look at this bill and say that Congress has done a good job,” he said in a statement. “This legislation does not accomplish that goal…it does not represent the right balance for the people I represent and I do not intend to support it.”
House Democratic leaders hope to hold a vote on the bill this weekend.
Skelton said that he was against a government-run insurance option, which liberals hope to include in the bill. He said that it could affect people who like the private insurance plan they currently have.
Critics contend that if the government offers a public insurance option, employers could decide to drop their own plans to save money, forcing people into the government plan.
Skelton also said he worried that reductions in Medicare reimbursements could hurt rural hospitals, and that the bill does not bar federal funds from being used for abortion services.
House leaders are trying to negotiate wording that would appease anti-abortion Democratic lawmakers to win their votes.
Poster Comment:
"Skelton said that he was against a government-run insurance option, which liberals hope to include in the bill. He said that it could affect people who like the private insurance plan they currently have."