The lone Republican explains his vote…

Cao says he put his district’s needs over his party’s wishes

“A lot of my constituents are uninsured, a lot of them are poor,” Cao said. “It was the right decision for the people of my district.”

The first Vietnamese-American to serve in the House, Cao defeated nine-term Democratic incumbent William Jefferson in last year’s election. Jefferson was under indictment on money laundering and bribery charges at the time, and has since been convicted.

Cao, a devout Catholic, said Sunday that an amendment to strengthen anti-abortion language in the House bill cleared the way for his support.

“When that was worked out … I called the White House and said I could possibly support the bill,” said Cao, adding he discussed getting continued help for his district as it seeks to fully recover from the impact of Hurricane Katrina.