The Democrat-turned-Independent Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has announced his opposition to current Senate healthcare legislation and will join Senate Republicans in stopping a final vote on the legislation.
Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who caucuses with the Democrats, told reporters Tuesday that he would vote in favor of a procedural motion allowing debate of the bill. But he said that, unless the bill changes substantially, he would vote with Senate Republicans against a motion to allow a vote on final passage of the bill.
His opposition to the bill centers around its inclusion of a government-run health insurance plan that states could choose not to carry. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, (D., Nev.) announced Monday that he intended to include a public plan in Senate health-care legislation.
“I think that a lot of people may think that the public option is free. It’s not,” Lieberman said. “It’s going to cost the taxpayers and people that have health insurance now, and if it doesn’t, it’s going to add terribly to our national debt.”
Reid will need 60 senators to vote in favor of a motion to move to a vote on final passage to avoid a Republican filibuster. While there are 60 senators who are part of the Democratic caucus, including Lieberman, several moderate senators have expressed ambivalence about including a public option in the legislation.