Southwest Washington Congressman Brian Baird on Friday said he will vote against the massive health care reform bill that is scheduled to come before the House on Saturday.

Later Friday, House Democrats acknowledged they don't yet have the votes to pass the bill, and signaled they may push back the vote until Sunday or early next week.

Although many aspects of the bill are commendable, Baird noted, Congress still has no reliable estimates of how the bill would affect health insurance costs for those people already with insurance.

“Although some prominent economists have asserted that premiums on average may go down relative to what they would be without this bill, the Congressional Budget Office has yet to complete its analysis of the issue,” Baird, a Democrat, said in a written statement.

In addition, Baird noted, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) likely would not have an estimate of the legislation’s effect on Medicare and Medicaid before Saturday’s scheduled vote.

“This is no small matter,” Baird said. “To insist that members vote on this legislation without having cost estimates … seems premature and unwise. Precisely because this matter is so important, it is critical that we do things right, and know what we are doing. At present, unfortunately, I do not believe we have answers to fundamental questions.”

Baird said he also is troubled that only one amendment will be allowed from the Republican side Saturday. No other amendments, by either the majority or minority members, would be allowed.

“I believe that is a mistake. For a matter of this importance, and on which reasonable people can and do disagree, there ought to be more opportunity granted for amendments on both sides.”

Baird said he continues to believe “strongly” that health care reform legislation is necessary and a number of improvements have been made in the legislation up for a vote Saturday.

Among them, he said, the bill would allow negotiations for prescription drugs under Medicare D, a step advocates said would lower costs.

Other improvements in the legislation, Baird said, include promoting alternatives to malpractice lawsuits, correcting Medicare payment disparities that put Washington at a disadvantage, and ending anti-trust exemptions for insurance companies.

Baird said he will reconsider his vote once the House bill is reconciled with whatever health care reform legislation the Senate passes.

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