Rahm Emanuel: House will vote on health care before recess

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel says the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on health care reform before it leaves for August recess.

The White House says the United States House of Representatives will vote on health care reform, possibly as early as next week. Emanuel, who is the top adviser to President Barack Obama, told National Public Radio that the House intends "to go next week" and that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is "working toward that goal." The U.S. Senate said Thursday it would not vote before recess. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told CNN he favored a quality bill over a quick bill. "The decision was made to give them more time," Reid said. "I don't think this is unreasonable. ... "I think that it's better to have a product that is one that's based on quality and thoughtfulness rather than trying to jam something through." It's not clear if the bill would pass the House of Representatives. Speaker Pelosi said Thursday she had enough votes. “I have no question that we have the votes on the floor of the House to pass this legislation,” Pelosi told reporters. Members of her own party question that notion. “No, I don’t think they have the votes,” Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., said, as quoted by ABC's Jake Tapper. Ross, considered to be a "blue-dog" Democrat. Blue dogs are conservative Democrats. There are seven all together on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. That committee has been delaying a floor vote on the bill. Even if the bill is brought to a vote, it would be reworked following the August recess and then again when the House and Senate have to reconcile their respective versions. President Obama acknowledged the difficulties this week, comparing the challenge of passing health care reform to landing on the moon 40 years ago. "I just want people to keep on working. Just keep working," said Obama. And it looks like both houses of Congress will be working on this bill well into the Fall.