Nancy Pelosi: 'We Will Pass the Bill'
Patricia Murphy
Capitol Hill Bureau Chief
Posted:
03/4/10
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday put a confident face on the furious efforts inside the Capitol to convince 217 Democrats in the House of Representatives to vote for the health care bill that passed the Senate last December, as well as a package of changes to that bill.
"I feel very confident that the up-or-down vote on the majority rule proposal that will come to the House will satisfy members' concerns about the Senate bill," Pelosi said.
At her weekly press conference, the speaker outlined the changes that House Democrats have told Senate negotiators they want to see before agreeing to a vote, including more money to subsidize Americans' insurance premiums; a cut to the "Cornhusker kickback," which gave Nebraska a special rate for Medicaid reimbursements; money to supplement prescription drugs for seniors; and a drastic reduction in the effects of the excise tax on expensive insurance plans.
One issue she did not volunteer was language on abortion financing. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), a pro-life Democrat who authored the House language on abortion-financing restrictions, said that he and 12 other House members will change their votes from yes to no if the Senate language on abortion financing is used, as the White House has indicated.
Pelosi insisted that the Senate language will do nothing to change the existing ban on federal financing for abortion, and added: "Let me say this. This is not about abortion."
Until a final bill has been drafted, the speaker said that she can't count her votes, but in the end, "We will pass the bill."
"I feel very confident that the up-or-down vote on the majority rule proposal that will come to the House will satisfy members' concerns about the Senate bill," Pelosi said.
At her weekly press conference, the speaker outlined the changes that House Democrats have told Senate negotiators they want to see before agreeing to a vote, including more money to subsidize Americans' insurance premiums; a cut to the "Cornhusker kickback," which gave Nebraska a special rate for Medicaid reimbursements; money to supplement prescription drugs for seniors; and a drastic reduction in the effects of the excise tax on expensive insurance plans.
One issue she did not volunteer was language on abortion financing. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), a pro-life Democrat who authored the House language on abortion-financing restrictions, said that he and 12 other House members will change their votes from yes to no if the Senate language on abortion financing is used, as the White House has indicated.
Pelosi insisted that the Senate language will do nothing to change the existing ban on federal financing for abortion, and added: "Let me say this. This is not about abortion."
Until a final bill has been drafted, the speaker said that she can't count her votes, but in the end, "We will pass the bill."