Health Insurance Forum

In North Carolina, one Democrat wavers on health care

by mahir on 09/04/10 at 8:41 am

WASHINGTON — Depends upon the voting of undecided Rep. Bob Etheridge, half of North Carolina’s Democrats could join congressional Republicans this weekend in opposing the final passage of North Carolina Health Insurance overrhaul legislation.
Three most conventional Democrats in the state, are expected to vote no just as they performed in November when the health bill first came up for a voting.
Reps. Heath Shuler of Waynesville, Larry Kissell of Biscoe and Mike McIntyre of Lumberton say the bill doesn’t go far enough to bring down health costs and would cost taxpayers too much.
Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, supported the Democrats’ bill in November. At that time, he waited until the final moment to signal his vote. This time around, he told that he’s undecided again.
The indecisiveness comes in the waning days of Democratic leaders’ push for votes. Jared Bernstein, economic policy advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, said in an interview that lawmakers are choosing between keeping the status quo and passing required if imperfect reform.
Bernstein told that these are not easy votes as grant. But these are a historic vote. Etheridge is considered a moderate in his party, and he votes with leadership nearly 98 percent of the time, according to a Washington Post database of congressional votes.