Democratic leaders believe health care reform will pass
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WASHINGTON -- Democratic leaders scrambled Sunday to pull together enough support in the House for a make-or-break decision on health care reform later this week, expressing optimism that a package will soon be signed into law by President Barack Obama despite a lack of firm votes for passage.
The rosy predictions of success, combined with the difficult realities of mustering votes, underscore the gamble that the White House and congressional Democrats are poised to make in an attempt to push Mr. Obama's health care plans across the finish line. The urgency of the effort illustrates growing agreement among Democratic leaders that passing the legislation is key to limiting damage to the party during this year's perilous midterm elections.
But House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, pledged to do "everything we can to make it difficult for them, if not impossible, to pass the bill." He also joined other Republicans Sunday in warning that Democrats would pay for the legislation by losing even more seats than expected in November.
The most optimistic talk on Sunday came from the White House. Senior Obama adviser David Axelrod predicted that Democrats "will have the votes to pass this," and press secretary Robert Gibbs declared that "this is the climactic week for health care reform."
But Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., the Democrats' chief head-counter in the House, cautioned that the party has not yet found the 216 votes needed to win approval of the health care bill passed by the Senate in December.
"We don't have them as of this morning, but we've been working this thing all weekend," Mr. Clyburn said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I'm also very confident that we'll get this done."
Democratic leaders are struggling to assemble support amid opposition to the Senate legislation from conservative Democrats, who object to abortion-related language in the bill, and from liberals, who are disappointed about the lack of a public insurance option and other measures. Mr. Obama has postponed a trip to Indonesia and Australia to help whip up support for the package.
First Published March 15, 2010 12:00 am
