Now that Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) has joined Democrats in voting to pass the Senate Finance Committee health reform bill, there’s been a lot of speculation over whether Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) would join Snowe in possibly supporting a Democratic health reform bill on the Senate floor.
Collins just made an appearance on MSNBC’s Hardball — and didn’t really shed much light on her plans.
“The Finance Committee bill is the best effort yet — due in large measure to the efforts of my colleague Olympia Snowe,” Collins said. “But it’s not there yet. It falls short.”
Collins said she’s concerned that health reform legislation needs to rein in costs and not increase health insurance premiums for middle-class families.
Chris Matthews asked Collins whether the White House has been contacting her about her concerns and what she needs to change in a health reform bill for her to support it.
“Yes,” she said. “Although not within the last couple of weeks.”
Collins said she sat down with President Obama and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel for a private meeting in September. “So I’m not seeking more attention,” she said.
The Maine senator said she doesn’t want to “see a secret backroom deal struck in conference” and instead wants a health care bill “fully debated” on the floor of the House and Senate.
But whether she’d support such a bill? That’s not clear at all.
