Pelosi Asserts Confidence on Health Care Vote

The House is poised to pass the largely-debated health care bill despite recent opposition, according to House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

Pelosi announced during a news conference on health care reform Wednesday that she had “no question” that Democrats in the House have the votes they need to secure the passage of the bill. This announcement was a surprise to many, given recent opposition to the bill from the party’s more moderate members who call for drastic changes to provisions thus far set forth by President Obama. Democratic Representative Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, met Wednesday with party skeptics to hash out possible changes to the bill in return for their support. Reacting to Pelosi’s claim that the necessary votes have already been secured, Louisiana Representative Charlie Melancon retorted, "I've been meeting to death, so if that has been for naught until they counted votes, and just to occupy our time, I'm sorry." Melancon expressed both his frustrations as well as those of other party members when he said, "I thought we were legitimately having conversations about writing a good health care bill for America." In addition to House discussions, bi-partisan Senate negotiations are also being pursued in an attempt to iron out disagreements and reign in the bill’s spending. Pelosi’s optimism mirrors statements to be made Wednesday evening during a live press conference conducted by President Obama. It is reported that the President will announce to the public, “We will pass reform that lowers cost, promotes choice and provides coverage that every American can count on. And we will do it this year." Despite the Speaker and President’s assertions, critics of the health care plan continue to step up their dialogue. Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee met Wednesday to consider changes to the bill while Douglas Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, issued a statement last week undermining the bill’s ability to control future health care costs. Meantime, Medicare reform continued to remain a contentious issue in the health care debate in light of President Obama’s suggestion to create an independent board with the power to set payment rates. The American Hospital Association urged its members Wednesday to oppose the provision because it could "hit future hospital reimbursements hard," while Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller has introduced a competing bill. Despite Pelosi’s claims of House support for the current health care bill, the reality of the situation is unclear, as is the time-frame for the impending vote.