Pelosi confident on public option, mandates constitutional

As health care reform proposals for public options circulate among House and Senate members, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismisses the notion that mandates are unconstitutional.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is confident that the House health care reform bill will feature a public option - and she does not believe that mandates requiring the American population to purchase health insurance are unconstitutional. "At the end of the day we will have a public option," Pelosi said, referring to the House bill. While it did not appear that Pelosi's more aggressive public option had enough votes in the House, the idea of a public option "trigger" is likely to make an appearance in their bill. But when confronted with the question of whether or not the insurance mandates are in fact constitutional, Pelosi changed the topic. "Are you serious," Pelosi asked. "Are you serious?"