Lieberman Reportedly Agrees Not to Join Health Care Reform Filibuster

Two sources say that Sen. Joe Lieberman has privately agreed with Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid that he will not block a final vote on health care, The Hill reports. Last week, Lieberman said he would join Republicans in filibustering the bill if it included a government insurance option. His spokesman said Monday that nothing had changed since his statement last week, but Reid has been assuring liberal interest groups that Lieberman has said he will vote with the Democrats to end debate.

Lieberman's vote is crucial to obtaining the 60-vote majority the Democrats will need to break an expected filibuster of the health care bill. Without him, Reid would be forced to persuade a Republican to break ranks, and even Sen. Olympia Snowe, who voted to send the bill out of committee, has said she will likely join her party in filibustering the final version.