U.S. Senate finance panel OKs health care overhaul bill

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday passed a health care reform bill in a vote viewed as critical to help advance the Obama administration's health care overhaul agenda.

U.S. Senate Finance Committee members Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore) (3rd R) and Senator John Kerry (D-Mass) (1st R) attend a debate during an executive session to vote on health care reform bill on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., Oct 13, 2009.(Xinhua/Zhang Yan)

The legislation, drafted by Democrats, was approved on a 14-9 vote in the 23-member committee, with Republican Senator from Washington state Olympia Snowe broke away from her party to cast a "yes" vote.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat from Montana who drafted the bill, said the legislation will provide a "commonsense, balanced solution" for the enduring dilemma in the country's health care system.

Snowe, the only Republican in the committee supported the bill, said she decided to vote "yes" with a sense of history.

"When history calls, history calls," she said.