Posted on 11/07/2009 4:38:15 PM PST by Sub-Driver
Sources: Pelosi, Dems lock up 218
By PATRICK O'CONNOR & JOHN BRESNAHAN & JONATHAN ALLEN | 11/7/09 7:16 PM EST
POLITICO 44
Hours before an expected vote on a sweeping health care bill, House Democrats believe they've secured the 218 votes they need to approve the bill, several party insiders said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took to the House floor about 6:30 p.m. to say, “Today we will pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act.. . .We will make history. We will also make progress for America's working families."
In response to a question about whether the bill would pass when she brought it up, Pelosi told reporters Saturday night, "That is our expectation."
Thirty-two Democrats have publicly declared their opposition to the bill, giving party leaders the narrowest possible margin to push the bill across the finish line. But numerous sources said Democrats believe they do have the votes after a day of intense lobbying of wavering Democrats.
Votes have a tendency to shift in the final hours before a controversial vote, but party leaders were expressing more genuine confidence as the sun set over the Capitol than they had exhibited all week. Word started spreading around 5 p.m. that leaders had the votes they needed to pass the $1.2 trillion bill.
Pelosi had all-but-predicted passage of a House health reform bill earlier Saturday, following an emotional appeal from President Barack Obama to fellow Democrats urging them to “answer the call of history” and vote yes.
But she and her top lieutenants earlier stopped short of saying they had the 218 votes needed for passage – signaling a day of vote-wrangling and arm-twisting that could stretch into Saturday night.
And Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami declined to comment. “We are not commenting on whip counts,” Elshami said.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
They have, IMO, declared war upon the American people.
Yes they have declared war. How do they think they will enforce this shit box? They don’t have the resources.
So why haven’t they voted?
Pray for America’s Freedom
Yes, and they’ve declared victory in their war on the Constitution.
On the other hand, looking at the whip count, there are 33 or 34 confirmed nos now, with at least 20 "undecided" or leaning. I don't see how she gets there. She has to get 13/20 or 14/20??
i thought it was now "Health Insurance Reform Act".
yitbos
Well do they have enough votes? I hope someone will publish all the names of the members democrats and republicans that voted yes. This needs to be published for the future elections. Anyone who voted yes needs to be thrown out of office at their upcoming next elections!
a republican needs to get on that floor and face the Dem.
Look at those who are not comfortable with this and say.
“Pelosi is safe , she will get elected you on the other hand live not in a liberal area but a swing vote area where if you pass this you will most probably lose your job and power, is that what you want because if you do then vote yes but expect to not have a job in year?
Everyone who is so focused on so-called Blue Dogs.... may have overlooked the fact that Pelosi could have some RINOs in her hip pocket.
“They have, IMO, declared war upon the American people.”
Ditto
They know this. Does anyone know if they upped their security?
Yes, piglosi, you have threatened your serfs. Vote for socialism or you will not be re-elected.
Good luck in the Senate bitch. It ain’t going to pass there.
Scozzyfazza would be voting against the abortion amendment and voting for the bill.
Crist is a RINO from fl who could not be trusted on this.
FOLKS GET ANGRY AND GET ACTIVE IN YOUR LOCAL GOP.
This is our call to action across the USA. go to the local GOP meeting AND TAKE OVER THE LOCAL PARTY.
COntrol the local, and you control the national
Any Rep that supports this travisty will lose their office in one year.
How they can prostitute themselves in this fashion is
befuddling to me.
Politics has no connection to reality.
Politichians have no connection to humanity.
I’m no scholar, but isn’t this bill unconstitutional? Not that it matters to congress, apparently.
I agree this is a phony leak from the the Marxist using his favorite Dem party media outlet !
Also its been posted before.
What about the Stupak amendment? Doesn’t the result make a difference to the blue dogs?
remember campaign finance reform?
I think they had the votes when the election results were final last year. Their only issue was seeing who needed cover and who was in a safe enough district to just vote yes. Oh, and they had to write this monstrosity.
If they had the votes - they would say they have the votes. She does not have the votes. She may get them but she doesn’t have them now.
The Democrats, polictical correctness, liberal judges, open-borders thansk to liberals, people in DC paid off by the Saudis helped murder 14 Americans the other day.
Sadly, most Americans are more interested in college football and other total and meaningless nonsense. The road to serfdom is paved with ball games.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.