A key US Senate committee endorsed a sweeping healthcare overhaul on Tuesday, gaining the support of an influential Republican 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.
Snowe, who had been courted by Obama and his fellow Democrats as the only potential Republican "yes" vote on the panel, said she backed the plan with reservations and she could not guarantee her continued support as the overhaul advances through Congress. "My vote today is my vote today. It doesn't forecast what my vote will be tomorrow," Snowe said.