U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, announced Wednesday she intends to vote in favor of the Affordable Health Care Act (H.R. 3962) saying the legislation would provide reform that lowers costs and expands access while not adding to a growing deficit.

The historic vote could come as early as this weekend in the House of Representatives. Halvorson predicts it will pass.

The congresswoman said she is confident the bill would deliver affordable, quality, stable medical care for the nation as well as her constituents throughout the 11th District.

However, critics of the legislation have raised fears the complex bill could cost U.S. taxpayers more than $1 trillion in future years once implemented.

In a Wednesday evening telephone interview with The Times, Halvorson disagrees with that figure. "I've said I would only support a (health care) bill that is deficit-neutral and this bill is just that," she said.

Explaining her support, she said, "We are facing a health care crisis in our country right now, and a health care system that doesn"t work for us. It doesn"t work for so many of my constituents who have been denied affordable care because of pre-existing conditions, and it doesn"t work for the millions who can"t afford insurance or who fear losing their coverage."

Halvorson said she has read the entire bill and, after listening to her constituents, she believes the legislation, as it stands, delivers on what H.R. 3200 (a previous version) did not. "It provides meaningful reform that lowers health care costs for families, expanding access to those who don"t have it, while actually reducing the deficit by $30 billion.

"I was also one of the moderate Democrats who fought hard to make sure that any public option included in this bill would not be tied to Medicare rates, so that we could ensure good access to health care throughout my district."

In defending her decision, Halvorson said the bill contains provisions that would:

• End co-payments for preventative care in Medicare.
• Close the Medicare Part D donut hole and lower prescription drug prices by 50 percent.
• Reduce the health care cost burden on small businesses, whose health expenses have grown almost 130 percent since 2000.
• Allow states to join together to permit buying insurance across state lines to increase competition.
• Create reform pilot programs to reduce frivolous lawsuits from entering the court system while preserving patients" rights.

Halvorson added, "As the (legislative) process moves forward, I'll continue reviewing any amendments to make sure any changes to the bill meet these criteria."

In related news Wednesday, Illinois' American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees union, which represents nearly 100,000 active and retired public service workers, have called for the passage of the bill.

From a release, AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Henry Baxter said the landmark legislation would help citizens to avoid medical bankruptcies and provide insurance for those with pre-existing conditions who are often denied coverage.

Other organizations, including The Council Against Government Waste, a Washington-based taxpayer watchdog group, blasted the bill saying it would "inflict a whole host of new taxes and costly mandates on individuals and businesses as American families struggle to make ends meet and unemployment approaches double digits."

More information about the legislation, including the full text and summary of the bill, can be found on the congresswoman's Web site, www.halvorson.house.gov.

The massive bill stands at 1,909 pages long, nine inches high and weighs 19 pounds.