U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, D-Vancouver, will vote against the latest health care reform legislation to be proposed in Congress, he said Friday afternoon.

    Baird’s announcement came just after House Democrats announced tentative plans to vote on H.R. 3962, a sweeping plan for reform that includes a government-run public option for insurance coverage.

    The vote could come as soon as today, though recent indications from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are that it could be pushed back to Sunday or later.

    Baird, who represents Washington’s 3rd District, had remained steadfast that he was undecided in recent months. He previously indicated he might vote against a bill if it were not posted online 72 hours before a vote. The congressman also said the current legislation lacks the votes it needs to pass the House.

    On Friday, he cited different reasons, among them the fact that the Congressional Budget Office has not yet produced a financial analysis on the bill. He said conversations with high-ranking health and budget officials led him to believe the analysis would not be complete in time for the vote.

    “This is no small matter,” Baird wrote in the statement. “To insist that members vote on this legislation without having cost estimates of Medicare and Medicaid impacts by the (Center for Medicare and Medicate Services) or an estimate of premium impacts from the CBO seems premature and unwise.

    “Precisely because this matter is so important, it is critical that we do things right, and know what we are doing. At present, unfortunately, I do not believe we have answers to fundamental questions.”

    Baird said Friday that Congress should slow down in its pursuit of reform in order to develop a cost analysis for the legislation, which has been estimated to cost upwards of $1 trillion.

    He said the bill was an improvement over previous legislation, but that he would not support it. He said he will wait until one bill has been developed between the House and Senate, and that his opposition is only aimed at the current bill.

    Baird also said that it was also troubling that only one Republican amendment would be allowed on the legislation, and that he thought the matter deserved the opportunity for additional changes.

    “For these reasons, until more information is available on premium estimates and Medicare impacts, I will vote against the legislation in its current form,” Baird wrote. “I will wait to make a decision on final legislation until this critical information becomes available and when the House and Senate together produce one bill.”

    Baird’s 2010 Republican congressional candidate David Castillo announced a press conference calling for Baird to oppose the legislation just minutes after Baird’s decision was announced. The press conference was canceled, and Castillo said he was pleased with Baird’s decision.

    Still, he said Baird was “punting” and that his decision was politically motivated and aimed at preventing a fallout from his district. He said he was concerned that Baird didn’t list the public option, increased taxes on medical devices and the mandate that every citizen have insurance or be penalized.

    “The congressman’s ‘no’ vote is not because he opposes the public option or a move toward universal, government-run health care,” Castillo said. “His statement is dangerously silent on this issue and his past positions have been favorable toward such a move.”