Snowe open to public option

Posted: Thursday, June 11, 2009 3:55 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: Congress, Andrea Mitchell

From NBC's Michelle Perry
Moderate Republican Olympia Snowe, a key swing vote in the U.S. Senate, told NBC's Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell reports that she would be open to some public/government insurance option.

"I don't think that a public national plan needs to be constructed that goes head to head with the private insurers," Snowe said, adding, however, that she thinks a fallback plan is necessary in the event private insurers don't provide adequate coverage. "I know some on my side view that as a government option as well."

Video: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell talks with Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.

On the Sen. Kent Conrad co-op proposal, Snowe called it an "innovative proposal," but the country would still need a fallback or contingency plan to make sure that affordable coverage is accessible to all. She added that the government needs to make sure health care options are expanded enough to those who need it.

"We want the private markets to work," Snowe said, "but we can't depend on them necessarily, given what we are facing today."

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Comments

Olympia Snowe - how naive this woman is. Must come from that brain-chilling cold up in Maine.

Arlen S., PA (Sent Thursday, June 11, 2009 4:00 PM)

Public Option needs to happen!

John B, Des Moines, IA (Sent Thursday, June 11, 2009 4:03 PM)

How come any plans these nitwits in congress comes up with cost the taxpayer about $200 billion dollars more a year.

Also, nice dodge by Obama to talk about PayGo, only to find out that PayGo is exempt from things like, nexts year budget, any health care bill, cash-for-clunkers, any stimulus bills, any cap and trade bills, so pretty much everything.

Donna, Kansas (Sent Thursday, June 11, 2009 4:03 PM)

Olympia Snowe is a breath of fresh air amongst the rest of the rotting corpses in the GEENOPEE. I sure love a woman that can think for herself!

Thank you Senator Snowe…

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL (Sent Thursday, June 11, 2009 4:06 PM)

Anyone else see Barney Frank walk off the set of a cnbc interview concerning Executive pay caps? The host of the show had the gall to actually ask Barney tough questions. The Democrats in general, like Nancy Pelosi, and Barney in particular are not used to the media challenging them. Nancy solution is to just stopped answering media questions. Any answers to questions the media might have for her are handle through her spokes-flunky. Barney though just walks off the set when questions get too tough. Democrats believe the media is there to get their message out without being challenged, without anyone being critical of the message, and without any filters or analysis.

Lynn Wheatly (Sent Thursday, June 11, 2009 4:09 PM)

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