Democrats push toward Sunday vote on health care
Saturday, 20 March 2010
WASHINGTON, Mar 19 (AP): Slowly but steadily, support is building behind President Barack Obama's health care legislation in the House, the result of intense lobbying and politically targeted changes aimed at reassuring waverers and winning over critics.
Obama himself was to talk up the sweeping overhaul in a midday speech Friday in Virginia, his fourth outside-the-Beltway event in two weeks as he scrambles to rally the public ahead of a climactic vote this weekend. On Capitol Hill, congressional leaders were focusing on those rank-and-file Democrats, including moderates and opponents of abortion, who remained undecided after the release Thursday of a final package of changes to the massive 10-year, $940 billion legislation.
"Every vote around here is a heavy lift," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said. "We don't have a rubber-stamp Congress or a rubber-stamp (Democratic) caucus. So, we have our full airing of issues."
Obama postponed until June a planned Asia trip that was set to begin Sunday, allowing him to stay in town for the House vote and action next week in the Senate.
Obama himself was to talk up the sweeping overhaul in a midday speech Friday in Virginia, his fourth outside-the-Beltway event in two weeks as he scrambles to rally the public ahead of a climactic vote this weekend. On Capitol Hill, congressional leaders were focusing on those rank-and-file Democrats, including moderates and opponents of abortion, who remained undecided after the release Thursday of a final package of changes to the massive 10-year, $940 billion legislation.
"Every vote around here is a heavy lift," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said. "We don't have a rubber-stamp Congress or a rubber-stamp (Democratic) caucus. So, we have our full airing of issues."
Obama postponed until June a planned Asia trip that was set to begin Sunday, allowing him to stay in town for the House vote and action next week in the Senate.