Snowe to Support Baucus Bill

The wait is over. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) just announced that she’ll support the $829 billion health reform bill soon to be voted on by the Senate Finance Committee.

“I do it with reservations,” she said, citing some of the most controversial provisions, including a broad Medicaid expansion and penalties to be applied to those who don’t comply with an individual insurance mandate. But the urgency of reforming the nation’s broken health care system outweighs those concerns, she said.

“When history calls, history calls,” Snowe said. She warned, however, that her support today doesn’t mean she’ll support the bill merged with the Senate health committee proposal.

“My vote today is my vote today,” she said. “It doesn’t forecast what my vote will be tomorrow.”