Minnick To Vote Against House Health Care Bill

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick says he intends to vote against the health care reform bill coming up for a vote in the U.S. House.

Minnick, Idaho's lone Democrat in Congress, says the new House bill fails to meet key goals for reforming the nation's health care system. But Minnick says he likes some of what he's seen in the Senate version.

Democratic leaders say they are still short of the votes needed to pass the sweeping reform package and are pushing a vote back to Sunday or early next week.

Minnick is part of a group of moderate Democrats opposed to the bill.

Minnick says he favors reforms in the insurance industry, reducing government spending on Medicare and reducing costs throughout the system. But he says the House bill falls short of doing those things.