GREELEY, Colo. - Colorado Democratic Rep. Betsy Markey, along with 38 other politically-vulnerable House Democrats, bucked the Democratic caucus and voted against the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives Saturday night on a 220-215 vote.
All the other Democrats in Colorado's House delegation, Reps. Diana DeGette, Ed Perlmutter, Jared Polis and John Salazar, voted in favor of the bill, which would cost $1.1 trillion over 10 years. Democrats said the legislation would provide overdue relief to Americans struggling to buy or hold on to health insurance.
The historic House vote was a significant step in the long-sought Democratic goal of enacting broad changes in the way health care is delivered in the nation -- but a final bill remains a long way off, with the Senate yet to bring its own emerging measure to the floor for debate. The two chambers will still need to negotiate and approve a final bill in the weeks ahead, although Saturday's vote has President Barack Obama hopefully that he can sign a final bill by year's end.
"Today we made history and finally made good on our promise to deliver meaningful health care reform," Polis said. "Health care should make people's lives better, not worse. No one should have to live with the fear that sickness will bankrupt their family or stay with a job they hate to keep the insurance they couldn't otherwise afford. Today we took the first step to reform our broken health care system to ensure that no suffering American falls through the cracks."
For Polis, who represents Colorado's second congressional district that includes notoriously liberal Boulder, it was an easy call -- politically speaking.
But, Markey, a first-term incumbent in a Republican-leaning district, is facing a tough reelection challenge next year, like most of the Democrats, also representing conservative swing districts, who went against the grain Saturday night rather than casting a politically-risky 'yes' vote.
In a statement, Markey acknowledged that her 'no' vote is a reflection of the constituents she represents in a district that includes Fort Collins, Greeley and the state's sprawling eastern plains.
"After carefully reviewing this legislation and hearing from thousands of Coloradans across my district, I could not support this bill," Markey said. "This was not an easy decision to make, because I know only too well that America's health care system is in dire need of reform.
"This bill provides new coverage for millions of Americans, but it simply does not do enough to cut the health care costs that are crushing our businesses and families. It's critical that we control rising health care costs, increase quality and value within our health care system, and improve access to health care and affordable health insurance coverage."
An independent businesswoman who defeated unpopular Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave in 2008, Markey continues to stake out the middle ground on health care, as she did during several town hall meetings on the subject in August when she told constituents she didn't support a true public option -- the Medicaid-based model in which the government would use additional taxes on those earning more than $250,000 a year to offer Medicaid-type coverage to anyone who wants or needs it -- but would support one that is more of a co-op.
"I support a public option that is totally paid for by premiums and not financed by the government at all," Markey said in August. "Only those people who choose to be in the public option will pay that premium. I think it's a good way of bringing competition to the insurance companies. But until we reform Medicare and Medicaid, which is going to go bankrupt ni less than a decade, I wouldn't support opening it up to new people."
With her vote Saturday night, Markey stayed true to those words, although her words leave room for her to support a final bill delivering health care reform. "This was not a vote on the idea of health care reform, it was a vote on one specific bill," Markey said. "I remain optimistic that with the House and Senate working together with the Administration, we can achieve a bill that meets the goals of affordability and coverage, improved access, and is also fiscally sustainable in the long-term."
All the other Democrats in Colorado's House delegation, Reps. Diana DeGette, Ed Perlmutter, Jared Polis and John Salazar, voted in favor of the bill, which would cost $1.1 trillion over 10 years. Democrats said the legislation would provide overdue relief to Americans struggling to buy or hold on to health insurance.
The historic House vote was a significant step in the long-sought Democratic goal of enacting broad changes in the way health care is delivered in the nation -- but a final bill remains a long way off, with the Senate yet to bring its own emerging measure to the floor for debate. The two chambers will still need to negotiate and approve a final bill in the weeks ahead, although Saturday's vote has President Barack Obama hopefully that he can sign a final bill by year's end.
"Today we made history and finally made good on our promise to deliver meaningful health care reform," Polis said. "Health care should make people's lives better, not worse. No one should have to live with the fear that sickness will bankrupt their family or stay with a job they hate to keep the insurance they couldn't otherwise afford. Today we took the first step to reform our broken health care system to ensure that no suffering American falls through the cracks."
For Polis, who represents Colorado's second congressional district that includes notoriously liberal Boulder, it was an easy call -- politically speaking.
But, Markey, a first-term incumbent in a Republican-leaning district, is facing a tough reelection challenge next year, like most of the Democrats, also representing conservative swing districts, who went against the grain Saturday night rather than casting a politically-risky 'yes' vote.
In a statement, Markey acknowledged that her 'no' vote is a reflection of the constituents she represents in a district that includes Fort Collins, Greeley and the state's sprawling eastern plains.
"After carefully reviewing this legislation and hearing from thousands of Coloradans across my district, I could not support this bill," Markey said. "This was not an easy decision to make, because I know only too well that America's health care system is in dire need of reform.
"This bill provides new coverage for millions of Americans, but it simply does not do enough to cut the health care costs that are crushing our businesses and families. It's critical that we control rising health care costs, increase quality and value within our health care system, and improve access to health care and affordable health insurance coverage."
An independent businesswoman who defeated unpopular Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave in 2008, Markey continues to stake out the middle ground on health care, as she did during several town hall meetings on the subject in August when she told constituents she didn't support a true public option -- the Medicaid-based model in which the government would use additional taxes on those earning more than $250,000 a year to offer Medicaid-type coverage to anyone who wants or needs it -- but would support one that is more of a co-op.
"I support a public option that is totally paid for by premiums and not financed by the government at all," Markey said in August. "Only those people who choose to be in the public option will pay that premium. I think it's a good way of bringing competition to the insurance companies. But until we reform Medicare and Medicaid, which is going to go bankrupt ni less than a decade, I wouldn't support opening it up to new people."
With her vote Saturday night, Markey stayed true to those words, although her words leave room for her to support a final bill delivering health care reform. "This was not a vote on the idea of health care reform, it was a vote on one specific bill," Markey said. "I remain optimistic that with the House and Senate working together with the Administration, we can achieve a bill that meets the goals of affordability and coverage, improved access, and is also fiscally sustainable in the long-term."
