WASHINGTON (Reuters – The New York Times) – Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives hustled on Thursday to count votes and round up support for a sweeping healthcare overhaul that was headed to a close floor vote on Saturday.
Failure in the Democratic-controlled House would be a huge political blow to President Barack Obama, who has made an overhaul of the vast $2.5 trillion healthcare system his top domestic priority.
Obama planned to visit the Capitol on Friday for a pep talk to House Democrats before the vote. House leaders have struggled to win over some party moderates with lingering concerns about the bill’s cost and its provisions on abortion.
“I think it’s going to be close,” House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer said of the vote, but he expressed confidence the measure would get the 218 votes needed to pass. House Democrats hold 258 seats in the chamber.
