Speaker Nancy Pelosi counted votes Thursday night and determined she could not pass a “robust public option” — the most aggressive of the three forms of a public option House Democrats have been considering as part of a national overhaul of health care.
Pelosi's decision—coupled with a significant turn of events yesterday during a private White House meeting—points to an increasingly likely compromise for a trigger option for a government plan.
Administration officials have been telling POLITICO for weeks now that this the most likely compromise because it can probably satisfy liberals—albeit only reluctantly and after many vent frustration and some even threaten to walk away from the bill.
This would clear the way for backers to sneak a limited public option through the Senate by attracting moderate Democrats and then to win President Barack Obama's signature.
There has been a flurry of rumors that a robust government option remains viable. But top House Democrats privately concede that is wishful thinking that ignores the power of moderate Democrats in this debate.
The House is now likely to include one of the two weaker versions in the bill that will be considered on the floor as Obama’s historic health-reform plan chugs toward passage.
The vote count will be a disappointment to liberals, but could be helpful to the crucial members of her caucus from conservative-leaning districts.
“Votes aren’t there,” a top official said. “The progressives are always more optimistic than reality.”
The speaker has proven herself a reliable vote counter, and she wants to release a bill that she knows can get at least 218 votes. Aides say the count was somewhat of a surprise, but not completely.
The speaker plans to roll out the House bill with a big ceremony on the West Front of the Capitol.
That was planned for Tuesday or Wednesday, and may still happen then. But aides say that disappointing first tally could delay the timeline a bit as they scramble to finalize the bill that will be considered on the House floor.
A top administration official tells POLITICO that at a White House meeting with Democratic Senate leaders on Thursday, Obama indicated that he supports a public option with a trigger — that is, one that would not start when the new law takes effect but instead could kick in later, based on insurers' performance.
Obama suggested he favored the trigger option put forth by Maine GOP Senator Olympia Snowe, the official said.
Pelosi's decision—coupled with a significant turn of events yesterday during a private White House meeting—points to an increasingly likely compromise for a trigger option for a government plan.
Administration officials have been telling POLITICO for weeks now that this the most likely compromise because it can probably satisfy liberals—albeit only reluctantly and after many vent frustration and some even threaten to walk away from the bill.
This would clear the way for backers to sneak a limited public option through the Senate by attracting moderate Democrats and then to win President Barack Obama's signature.
There has been a flurry of rumors that a robust government option remains viable. But top House Democrats privately concede that is wishful thinking that ignores the power of moderate Democrats in this debate.
The House is now likely to include one of the two weaker versions in the bill that will be considered on the floor as Obama’s historic health-reform plan chugs toward passage.
The vote count will be a disappointment to liberals, but could be helpful to the crucial members of her caucus from conservative-leaning districts.
“Votes aren’t there,” a top official said. “The progressives are always more optimistic than reality.”
The speaker has proven herself a reliable vote counter, and she wants to release a bill that she knows can get at least 218 votes. Aides say the count was somewhat of a surprise, but not completely.
The speaker plans to roll out the House bill with a big ceremony on the West Front of the Capitol.
That was planned for Tuesday or Wednesday, and may still happen then. But aides say that disappointing first tally could delay the timeline a bit as they scramble to finalize the bill that will be considered on the House floor.
A top administration official tells POLITICO that at a White House meeting with Democratic Senate leaders on Thursday, Obama indicated that he supports a public option with a trigger — that is, one that would not start when the new law takes effect but instead could kick in later, based on insurers' performance.
Obama suggested he favored the trigger option put forth by Maine GOP Senator Olympia Snowe, the official said.
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