Snowe: I’ll Vote Against Dems’ Health Reform Bill

Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine), the only Republican to offer the least bit of support for the Democrats’ health reform legislation this year, said Tuesday that she will vote against the Senate bill unless it’s altered, The Associated Press is reporting.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) made waves Monday when he announced that he would retain the robust public plan offered in the Senate HELP Committee bill rather than sticking with the more conservative strategy to create health care cooperatives, as dictated by the Senate Finance panel’s proposal. Reid’s plan tweaks the HELP provision slightly by allowing states the option not to participate. Snowe, however, has been urging a public plan “trigger,” and said she’s “deeply disappointed” in the opt-out model.

Without Snowe — and without Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) — Reid and the Democrats are back at the drawing board on how to rally 60 Senate votes.