A key US Senate committee endorsed a sweeping healthcare overhaul yesterday, gaining the support of an influential Republican Senator and delivering President Barack Obama a victory on his top domestic priority.
The Democratic-controlled Senate Finance Committee approved the measure on a 14-9 vote, with Senator Olympia Snowe becoming the first Republican in Congress to back a healthcare reform bill.
'Today we reached a critical milestone in our effort to reform our healthcare system,' Mr Obama said after the vote, warning there were still big challenges ahead for healthcare reform.
The bill, the last of five pending health measures to clear a committee in Congress, will be merged with the Senate health panel's version in the next few weeks for a full Senate debate and floor votes.
Ms Snowe, who had been courted by Mr Obama and his fellow Democrats, said she still had reservations about the overhaul and could not guarantee her continued support as it advances.
'My vote today is my vote today. It doesn't forecast what my vote will be tomorrow,' Ms Snowe said.
Stocks from health insurer companies fell on fears reform was gaining steam and would hurt profits if it passed.
The vote gave another shot of momentum to the healthcare drive and was good news for Mr Obama, who has been criticised for taking too much on board from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to climate change and gay rights.
The proposal drafted by Democratic Chairman Max Baucus was designed to reduce costs, regulate insurers and expand coverage.
Republicans condemned the plan as a costly and heavy-handed government intrusion into the private healthcare sector and said the measure would get even worse as it moved forward.
'We can now see clearly that the bill continues its march leftward,' said Senator Charles Grassley, the senior Republican on the panel. 'This bill is already moving on a slippery slope to more government control of healthcare.'
Ms Snowe's support could give Democrats a crucial swing vote as they try to hold the 60 Senate votes needed to overcome procedural roadblocks.
Democrats control exactly 60 seats in the 100-member Senate.
Two weeks of panel debate left the key elements of the committee plan intact.
Support was strengthened by last week's estimate from nonpartisan analysts that it would cost $829bn - well below Mr Obama's target of $900bn - and meet the president's goal of reducing the budget deficit.
