Snowe may be risking Commerce Committee leadership on healthcare reform vote

Sen Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) is risking a shot at becoming the top Republican on the influential Senate Commerce Committee by backing Democratic healthcare legislation, according to senators on the panel. Republicans on the panel are threatening to vote against Sen Snowe, who is in line for the senior GOP post that is about to come open. "A vote for healthcare would be something that would weigh on our minds when it came time to vote," said a Republican on Commerce, who said Snowe would otherwise be assured of the ranking member post if not for the healthcare debate. Every other GOP member of Finance is expected to vote against the healthcare bill. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), the senior Republican on Commerce, is preparing to leave the chamber to run for governor in the coming weeks.