Obama exudes confidence in victory on health care
Associated Press
WASHINGTON
One by one, Democratic fence-sitters began choosing sides Friday, and the long, turbulent struggle over landmark health-care legislation tilted unmistakably in President Barack Obama’s direction.
In full campaign mode, his voice rising, the president all but claimed victory, declaring to a cheering audience in Virginia, “We are going to fix health care in America.”
With the showdown vote set for Sunday in the House, Obama decided to make one final, personal appeal to rank-and-file Democrats, arranging a Saturday visit to the Capitol. Republicans, unanimous in opposition to the bill, complained anew about its cost and reach.
Under a complex — and controversial — procedure the Democrats have devised, a single vote probably will occur to send one bill to Obama for his signature and to ship a second, fix-it measure to the Senate for final passage in the next several days.
Democratic leaders and Obama focused last-minute lobbying efforts on two separate groups of Democrats, 37 who voted against an earlier bill in the House and 40 who voted for it only after first making sure it would include strict abortion limits that now have been modified.
Reps. John Boccieri of Ohio, Scott Murphy of New York and Allen Boyd and Suzanne Kosmas of Florida became the latest Democrats to announce support for the bill after voting against an earlier version that passed, bringing the number of switches to seven.
Boccieri’s decision to support the bill drew a tart response from the House Republican campaign committee, which issued a warning — “Ohio Dem Uses Press Conference to Announce End of Stint in Congress” — that predicted the first-term lawmaker’s political demise.
On the other side of the ledger, Rep. Michael Arcuri of New York became the first Democratic former supporter to announce his intention to oppose the bill. Rep. Anh Cao of Louisiana, the only Republican to support the earlier measure, has also announced his opposition.
The historic legislation, affecting virtually every American and more than a year in the making, would extend coverage to an estimated 32 million Americans who lack it, forbid insurers to deny coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions and cut federal deficits by an estimated $138 billion over a decade. Congressional analysts estimate the cost of the two bills combined would be $940 billion over a decade.
For the first time, most Americans would be required to purchase insurance, and they would face penalties if they refused. Billions of dollars would be set aside for subsidies to help families at incomes of up to $88,000 a year afford the cost.
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