Democratic U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey said she solidly supports President Barack Obama, even though she voted against his signature domestic policy initiative — the health care reform bill.
Markey, of Fort Collins, was one of 39 Democrats who on Nov. 7 voted against the House version of the health care bill. She cited concerns that the bill wouldn’t cut costs as the reason for her nay vote.
Markey is among the Blue Dog Democrats, who at times are at odds with Obama’s budget. Still, Markey said, Obama is doing a good job.
“I don’t always agree with him, but you can disagree and still support our president,” she said Thursday.
Markey — who met with The Denver Post’s editorial board — said she was going to one of the events Obama was attending Thursday in Denver. She is co-sponsoring a bill to remove antitrust exemptions enjoyed by health-insurance companies. The exemptions created in 1945 by the McCarran-Ferguson Act protect insurance companies from federal prosecution in areas such as price fixing.
This is a piecemeal approach to passing health care legislation that most people can understand, she said.
“Let’s take a different approach to reform,” Markey said. “It’s easy to read, and I expect it will get bipartisan approach.”
