Costello will vote no on health care bill

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Belleville) will vote no when the House of Representatives votes on the pending health care bill, according to the Associated Press. It is expected that the measure will be voted on Friday.

Costello had voted in support of a health care bill in November, which barely squeaked through on a 220-215 vote. That was on legislation originating in the House. The current bill, which passed in the U.S. Senate, needs House approval to be sent to President Barack Obama.

The Obama administration has invested heavily in seeing the measure passed and needs all the support it can muster from Democrats in the House to make it happen.

Over the weekend, Costello changed his mind and now opposes the legislation, he said.

He expressed concerns over taxpayer funding for abortion and uncertainty over overall costs of the program. Costello is known to be an opponent of abortion.

Might Costello change his mind again between now and Friday? "It depends," said Costello spokesman David Gillies.

Gillies declined to say if Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, or other top Democrats have attempted to change Costello's opinion. Published reports in major newspapers indicated that Democrat leaders had spent the weekend contacting 40 moderate Democrats in the House who had voted for the measure back in November but who now appeared to be disinclined to support it.

Polls indicate that the majority of Americans are opposed to the bill.