Ross: I will oppose legislation with a public plan

"In a fresh sign of divisions in the president's own party," Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., on Tuesday came out against including a public insurance plan in health reform legislation, the Associated Press reports. Ross said he could not support a public plan after hearing from constituents during the August recess (Werner, 9/8).

The Hill's Blog Briefing Room writes: "Ross, the chairman of the centrist Blue Dogs' healthcare task force, told constituents in a newsletter that he would oppose the controversial provision, one of the key sticking points in the healthcare reform debate. He wrote, "A government-run public option is the wrong direction for health reform in this country and I will oppose it in the U.S. Congress." Ross wrote that he had "been skeptical about the public health insurance option from the beginning" (O'Brien, 9/8).