WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2009
House Nears Vote for Health Care Overhaul
Democratic Leaders Are Seeking to Calm Concerns from Moderates Ahead of Vote Planned for Saturday
-
Play CBS Video Video Unplugged: Gregg Thinks Health Care Will Pass Bob Schieffer spoke with Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) about the upcoming health care reform vote on the Senate floor. Plus; The stars come out for Bill Cosby, who received the Mark Twain Prize for Humor at the Kennedy Center.
-
President Obama will personally appeal to House legislators to pass the healthcare overhaul bill. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Voting is set for Saturday on the 10-year, $1.2 trillion legislation that embraces Obama's goals of extending health coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and putting tough new restrictions on insurance companies.
Obama was set to make a personal appeal to the Democratic rank and file in a visit Friday to Capitol Hill. That was called off late Thursday after the shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, and rescheduled for Saturday.
Track the Progress of Health Care Reform
CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care
Action on health legislation was slowed as senators waited for the Congressional Budget Office to weigh in on a bill written by Majority Leader Harry Reid in consultation with the White House and key committee chairmen. Senate votes could slip until next year, but in the House Democratic leaders pressed forward.
They expressed optimism that when it came time to vote, they'd have the majority needed to prevail in the 435-seat House.
Asked Thursday if she had the votes, Speaker Nancy Pelosi replied: "We will."
Pelosi and other Democratic leaders were finalizing language to bar federal funding of abortion and resolving a flare-up over the treatment of illegal immigrants in the legislation that had Hispanic lawmakers up in arms.
Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus object to a provision in the Senate legislation backed by the White House that bars illegal immigrants from buying health insurance within a proposed new marketplace, or exchange, even if they use their own money to buy from private companies.
Illegal immigrants can buy private health insurance now, so some lawmakers say the White House position goes too far. The House bill doesn't have that language, and several members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus met with Obama at the White House on Thursday to tell him that if that changed, he could lose as many as 20 votes.
"I think that he got our message," Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., head of the Hispanic Caucus, said afterward.
House leaders said that, in keeping with the Hispanic Caucus' demands, there was not likely to be any prohibition added to the House bill against illegal immigrants shopping in the exchange.
Democrats were trying to toughen prohibitions in the bill against federal funding for abortions in a way that would satisfy enough anti-abortion Democrats. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was involved in the talks and a resolution appeared within reach late Thursday.
The House effort picked up two major endorsements Thursday, from the powerful seniors' lobby AARP and the American Medical Association.
The bill would cover 96 percent of Americans, providing government subsidies beginning in 2013 to extend coverage to millions who now lack it. Self-employed people and small businesses could buy coverage through the new exchanges, either from a private insurer or a new government plan that would compete. All the plans sold through the exchange would have to follow basic consumer protection rules.
For the first time, almost all individuals would be required to purchase insurance or pay a fine, and employers would be required to insure their employees. Insurance companies would be barred from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions or charging much higher rates to older people.
© MMIX The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBSNews.com On Digg
More From Politics
Add a Comment
- Well ENUF IS ENUF ....Will these SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS get what they want under the guise of another tragedy in America? the Congress keeps on while America is mourning and Congress thinks they know what America wants...NO, THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT...Shameful..
- Reply to this comment
- We desperately need health care reform but this bill is not it. As I've said before affordable health care insurance can only come about if we actually have affordable health care. This bill does nothing to deal with the over-riding high costs of health care. The politicians need to stop pandering to the special interests.
And as I've also said I am not a republican. Everyone would be wise to actually look at this monstrosity before allowing their emotions to control them. Here is a link where you can take a look at it for yourselves: http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf - Reply to this comment
- What the h.e.l.l. is wrong with the members of the Hispanic caucus putting the wants of criminal immigrants above those of American citizens. I can tell you what is wrong with them theu are anti American racists.
- Reply to this comment
- I would recommend everyone contact their representive and senetors and tell them that a vote for any legislation that increases the financial burden on workers and tax payers at a time when the niber of tax payers is decreasing is a very unwise thing to do. They need to wait until the economy recovers and there is steady job growth before they talk about any legislation that costs the tax payers.
- Reply to this comment
Gen. Ray Odierno, head of multinational forces in Iraq, on progress there and plans for Afghanistan.
