Blue Dog North Florida Representative Allen Boyd and Orlando area Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas were the two Democrats that joined all of the Republicans in the Florida Congressional Caucus who voted against the $1.1 trillion health care reform bill that barely squeaked by in the House Saturday night on a 220-215 vote.

In a lengthy press release his office distributed before his vote, Boyd, who represents the Panhandle area, concluded:

“My vote against H.R. 3962, the House’s first attempt at a healthcare bill, is not a vote against responsible reform. Rather, it is a signal that our work in Congress is not yet complete. Reducing the cost of healthcare services must be the focus of any reform package, and I will continue working, as I’ve always done, to fix what’s wrong with our healthcare system, to continue what’s right, and to ensure Americans have access to affordable, quality coverage they need.”

Boyd is a Blue Dog conservative Democrat, Kosmas a centrist concerned about keeping her seat in 2010; A cursory look at the other Democrats who voted against the bill are all in that category, with one notable exception: Ohio's Dennis Kucinich.

This article appears in Nov 4-10, 2009.