Majority leader: House will pass health bill

Democratic House leaders are pushing for a final vote on a health-care-reform bill scheduled for Saturday with last-minute negotiations continuing over taxpayer-funded abortions and other contentious issues.

Leaders and at least a handful of pro-life Democrats appear to be close to a deal on language that would assure them that taxpayers would not have to pay for abortions, which is the most significant hurdle to final passage.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, told reporters from the Associated Press and other wire services he will have the 218 needed votes by Saturday.

“I wouldn’t refer to it as a squeaker, but I think it’s going to be close,” he said. “This is a huge undertaking.”

The bill has picked up key endorsements from AARP and the American Medical Association.

“AARP is no small endorsement,” President Obama said during a rare appearance at the daily White House press briefing. “The board made the decision because they knew it would strengthen health care.”

He said the AMA endorsed the bill because “the men and women who know health care best … know firsthand what’s wrong with our medical system.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of people came to Capitol Hill today to participate in a Republican-backed rally, known as a ” in opposition to the legislation.

The 10-year, $1.2 trillion House bill would establish a government-run insurance plan, require individuals to obtain insurance and employers to provide it, and provide tax subsidies to help the poor and middle class obtain coverage.

Final passage in the House would put President Obama’s goal of reforming the health care system within sight of the White House. From there, the Senate would have to pass its bill, and then the two pieces of legislation would have to be combined, though neither is expected to be an easy task.

Democrats plan to make final changes to their bill — expected to include the abortion compromise — by Friday, when the Rules Committee meets. Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, New York Democrat, who is committee chairman, said there likely will be five hours of floor debate and no floor amendments accepted in a rare Saturday session in the House.

During that time, Republicans hope to be able to offer their reform plan, released Wednesday, which would allow insurance companies to sell across state lines, establish high-risk insurance pools and limit medical malpractice awards. They rebuffed the idea that Democrats would try to pass the bill with one day of formal debate.

“The idea that Congress would enact a government takeover of one-sixth of the American economy and debate it for half a working day would be deeply offensive to the millions of Americans would cherish limited government,” said Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana Republican, who is chairman of the House Republican Conference.

There are expected to be conservative Democrats who vote against the bill over worry that it adds to the debt, allows for taxpayer-funded abortion or provides illegal immigrants access to the insurance exchanges.

A group of about 40 pro-life Democrats had threatened to prevent the House from starting debate on the health-care-reform bill if the legislation allowed taxpayer-funded abortions. There are enough members to do so successfully.

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