Two suburban Dems silent ahead of health care reform vote

As President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi scrambled to shore up support for health care reform in advance of an expected weekend vote, two key suburban Democrats remained on the fence.

Meanwhile, it is clear no suburban Republicans will vote for the measure, which they argue is an abhorrent expansion of government.

As of Friday night, Democrat U.S. Reps. Bill Foster of Batavia and Melissa Bean of Barrington weren't saying how they are likely to vote when final legislation comes up for a vote in the House.

Democrats like Bean and Foster, who align themselves with the party's moderate coalitions, have proved difficult for Obama and Pelosi to rope in on the final vote.

While both have said they could support a public insurance option as part of health care reform, they also have said their support will depend on details in the final legislation.

Both Bean and Foster have been protested in the suburbs by activists on both sides of the issue over the last two months.

Foster is a freshman in the far West suburban 14th District previously held by Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Bean first won her Northwest suburban 8th District seat in 2004 after beating veteran GOP Rep. Phil Crane.

Bean spokesman Jonathan Lipman declined to comment Friday on how Bean might vote on the legislation this weekend.

Foster spokeswoman Shannon O'Brien said the congressman was "continuing his analysis."

Foster's office sent out a release on Thursday to the media detailing 150 events and private meetings in which the congressman listened to positions on the health care debate. The release also said the congressman spent 43 hours reading and analyzing the legislation since its publication last week.

Meanwhile, Democrat Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston was a 'yes' vote as of Friday night. "We have every intention to vote for it," said spokesman Trevor Kincaid.

House Republicans from the suburbs set to vote against the plan include Peter Roskam of Wheaton, Judy Biggert of Hinsdale, Don Manzullo of the Rockford area, and Mark Kirk of Highland Park, who is running for Senate.

"This massive overhaul would dramatically increase spending, slash Medicare, and would drive families into a government-run system that few believe will truly lower costs or improve the quality of care," Biggert said of the plan.

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