Obama Calls Holdouts on Health Care

Abortion, Illegal Immigration Still Issues

(AP)  Amid intense lobbying by the Obama administration, House Democratic leaders struggled Friday for the final votes needed to pass sweeping health care legislation, offering fresh concessions to abortion opponents and working to ease concerns among Hispanic holdouts.

"We're very close" to having enough votes to prevail, said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, although he added a scheduled Saturday vote could slip by a day or two and sought to pin the blame on possible Republican delaying tactics.

"Nice try, Rep. Hoyer, but you can't blame Republicans when the fact is you just don't have the votes," shot back Antonia Ferrier, spokeswoman for the GOP leader, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio.

Hours later, Democrats were still trying to get them.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi presided over meetings well after dark with Democratic abortion foes, whose votes were critical to the bill's fate, then with supporters of abortion rights, who are among the health legislation's biggest advocates in the House.

It was not clear precisely what concessions were under discussion. In general, the issue in dispute was the availability of abortion services in insurance policies to be sold in a proposed new federally run insurance exchange, and also in a new government coverage option included in the bill.

In a struggle that combined the fate of President Barack Obama's top domestic priority and a 2010 campaign issue, bipartisanship was not an option.

GOP leaders boasted that all 177 House Republicans stood ready to oppose the $1.2 trillion bill, which would create a new federally supervised insurance marketplace where the uninsured could purchase coverage.

Consumers would have the option of picking a government-run plan, the most hotly contested item in the legislation and the basis for the Republican claim that Democrats were planning a government takeover of the insurance industry.

Democrats said their bill was designed to spread coverage to millions who lack it, ban insurance industry practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions and restrain the growth of health care spending nationally. The Congressional Budget Office said that if enacted, the measure would extend coverage to 96 percent of all eligible Americans within 10 years.

Obama arranged to visit the Capitol complex on Saturday to make one final pitch to fellow Democrats for the measure. He and others in his administration spent part of the day lobbying intensely for its passage.

Rep. Jason Altmire, a second-term Democrat from western Pennsylvania, said he received calls during the day from the president, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Their message was "this is a historic moment. You don't want to end up with nothing," he said.

Altmire added his callers emphasized the legislation would change once it left the House, but if it's defeated now the drive to enact sweeping changes would be over for the foreseeable future. He said he remained undecided on his vote.

Several Democrats have already announced their opposition, most of them moderate to conservative members of the so-called Blue Dog Coalition.

Democrats hold 258 seats in the House and can afford 40 defections and still wind up with 218, a majority if all lawmakers vote.

The White House issued a statement of support for the measure, saying it "meets the president's criteria for health insurance reform: It assures that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care that is there when they need it and does so without adding a dime to the deficit."

Months after Obama urged lawmakers to remake the health care system, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the leadership struggled to resolve controversies over the bill's treatment of illegal immigrants and insurance coverage for abortion, issues that transcend health care and have long divided the Democratic caucus as they do the nation.

Abortion blended politics and religion.

Federal law currently prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortions except in the case of rape, incest of situations in which the life of the mother is in danger. That left unresolved whether individuals would be permitted to use their own funds to buy insurance coverage for the procedure, either in the federally backed insurance exchange envisioned under the legislation or in the government coverage option.

A compromise proposal backed by Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., would allow it, so long as abortions weren't paid for from federal funds used to subsidize insurance policies bought by lower-income individuals and families.

While that was enough to satisfy some, other abortion foes objected, backed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Democrats weighed possible concessions that could satisfy them without losing votes from abortion rights Democrats.

It was not clear precisely what changes were under consideration, but officials said they would involve additional restrictions on the availability of abortions.

The controversy surrounding illegal immigrants remains "a work in progress," Rep. Nydia Velazquez, a New Yorker and chairwoman of the Hispanic Caucus, said after a midday meeting in Pelosi's office.

As drafted, the legislation permits illegal immigrants to purchase coverage with their own money inside the insurance exchange that would be created - a provision that the 23-member Hispanic Caucus wants retained in any final compromise that reaches Obama's desk.

One lawmaker who attended the session, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks, said members of the Hispanic Caucus sought and received assurances from Pelosi that she and the leadership would support them as the bill made its way through the House and ultimately to the president's desk. But this lawmaker said the speaker was not able to get a pledge in return that the Hispanics would all vote for the bill regardless of how their issue was ultimately settled.

Despite the uncertainty, Hispanic lawmakers generally have a strong incentive to support the legislation. According to the Census Bureau, nearly 31 percent of Hispanics are uninsured, roughly double the rate of 15 percent for the U.S. population as a whole.

The bill provides federal subsidies for consumers at lower incomes to defray the cost of insurance. Most individuals would be required to buy coverage and large businesses would have to provide it to their employees.

The bill would be paid for by cuts in future payments to Medicare providers as well as a surcharge of 5.4 percent on income tax filers' income over $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for couples.

The bill also would provide for a large expansion of Medicaid, the federal-state program for the poor, and eliminate a gap in drug coverage under Medicare.

[chonder2]

Beckiesbest and 74Blaster...Damn good posts! Hats off to you!

[bann65]

This turkey can't even get out enough vaccines and we should go with his healthcare. SCARY, (((SCARY))), besiede being 100% unaffordable......

[blizb]

Unaffordable is a major Flu Pandemic with a combined total of 30 million people out of work and/or without healthcare. Hospitals would go bankrupt caring for an epidemic with no way to be reimbursed and we would end up bailing out the hospital system. Better to plan for healthcare to cover everyone in case of a Flu Pandemic.

[charlie7410]

"Pssst.. after we're dun here we'll get that corn syrup."

[rocketjl]

God, I know the folks in the White House need serious help, but please protect them. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to the President and Vice President. That would mean Pelosi would become President by default and she would generate massive suicides and an major exodus to Mexico. Think of all the poor illegal immigrants that would be run-over by Americans immigrating to Mexico screaming 'political asylum' and 'give me a job'.

[BeckieBest]

Was that an attempt at humor?

Weak..........

[rocketjl]

Correct, but think about it.

Apparently the vote will be very close on this 'bill'. Yet the President & Pelosi can't understand that 'close' means there may be something wrong with it, in the eyes of Americans and they just want to 'force' it into law.

[xalen54]

I thought it was funny. Pelosi is complete dumb**** I would take the freedom crushing President over her anyday.

[BeckieBest]

YOU KNOW YOU'RE A TEABAGGER IF.............



*You hate government health care, and don't want them to touch your Medicare.
*You shout down someone who is talking, because you believe they are trying to limit your freedom of speech.
*You've used the same knife to whittle a shiv, and threaten your Congressman.
*You have been asked to leave a yard sale.
*You put the beatdown on your tattoo artist for spelling "MOM" backwards.
*The Rush Limbaugh show ended and you cried like John Boehner.


lol!

[Sloughfoot]

"The controversy surrounding illegal immigrants remains "a work in progress," Rep. Nydia Velazquez, a New Yorker and chairwoman of the Hispanic Caucus, said after a midday meeting in Pelosi's office."

Like a parasitic hook worm they are.

[olyboy]

Why aren't you reporting the details of this bill? I see the section by section break-down on Fox News and it is frightening. Are you afraid of the truth or is the wording in the bill something other than what Fox is reporting? If Fox's reporting is accurate, there is nothing in this bill that expands healthcare options for the majority of Americans, in fact it does the exact opposite. American's need to wake up and demand truth from their polititions and the "news" organizations like CBS, NBC and ABC.

[the74blaster]

Come on!

Lets look at the GOP record.

1. There is no outrage about all the outsourcing of high paying jobs offshore in the name of making our companies competitive in a world market.

Well what about keeping the American middle class cmpetitive? It seams as though the GOP is mre concerned about pleasing abortion foes, keeping the insurance monopoly intact and worring about the costs associated with stimulating an economy they destroyed refusing to pass the needed regulations, than they are about bring back the jobs that have been outsourced.

[blizb]

Fox?? No one is afraid. This bill has been posted online to read from the first draft presented as it has moved forward. People are too quick to listen to the fear from Fox & Republicans taking advantage of their constituents. If we have a major Flu Pandemic with 30 million out of work and most without insurance we will end up paying for healthcare anyway. The Republicans waited too late to present a plan to review and their version is even worse.

[velma179]

This is why we don't love you Congress.

You are more concerned about getting the campaign dollars, so you can win votes in the NEXT election.

What about us? Why won't you DO what we were told you would do in your LAST funded campaigns?

Signed,

The VOTERS who voted you into THIS term

(and those who will kick you out without a backwards glance...)

[Virgil-1]

Health care is an oxymoron when it's killing babies!

[goeswest]

Typical politicans,they are willing to kill health care reform in an effort to save their political hides.They have no morals,no sense of deceny left in them.They should pass the damn bill and if they get voted out then so be,it wont be the end of the world for them is they lose the next election.Most of these people are freaking wealthy enough anyway to survive without a congressional paycheck.

[hungry1968-17]

It will be a bloodbath in November 2010 for those that voted against this legislation, if it gets killed and the people are stuck with the currently broken system.

[velma179]

by hungry1968-17 November 7, 2009 8:48 AM EST

Oh, the blood letting will begin WAY before November -- Primary challenges-R-us will be na very, very busy group!

[rocketjl]

What we have is not good and what they offer is worse. Too bad no one has the honesty to fix what is wrong.

You wanted Obama, you got him, now we all have to live with what he is doing.

[chonder2]

REPUBLICAN GAME PLAN FOR AMERICA AFTER THE NOVEMBER 2008 ELECTION--

Captain Limbarf:"Leftenants Bohner and Steele"!!

Bohner and Steele: "SIR"!!

Captain Limbarf: "It appears that the Democrats have won fair and square and are boarding the good ship America".

Bohner and Steele:"Yes sir"!

Captain Limbarf:"Well Leftenants, there is only one thing left to do in the finest Conservative tradition"

Bohner and Steele:"Yes sir Captain,you mean hand over the rudder to them and wish them God speed"??

Captain Limbarf:"NO! Scuttle the ship"!!

[rightbehind]

Their are worrying about their own hides rather than the people they represent. They are already done.

[j_mcdonald-2009]

You're right. According to all the recent polls, over 70% of their constituents want a STRONGER bill than this.

The ones in the pockets of the insurance company have completely shafted large majorities (in their own districts!) by watering this down so much. They are going to be in deep trouble next year. Some of those who voted for the Stupid amendment and then voted against the bill are already toast.