WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Sen. Olympia Snowe said Tuesday she would not support the Senate Finance Committee's healthcare bill because of doubts about financing.
Snowe's decision leaves Democrats with no Republican support for a healthcare bill in the Senate, The Hill reported. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the committee chairman, had been meeting for days with Snowe and Democratic moderates in an attempt to deliver a bill with at least token Republican support.
The Democrats hold 59 seats in the Senate, one short of the number needed to override a filibuster and get the bill to the floor. Majority Leader Harry Reid said that he is prepared to use budget reconciliation to force a vote.
"We've always had a place at the table for Republicans. There's one there today. We hope it bears fruit," he said. "If we can't get the 60 votes we need, then we'll have no alternative but to use reconciliation."
Snowe, R-Maine, was one of three Republicans who voted for President Obama's economic stimulus plan.
