Pelosi: ‘I Don’t See the Votes’ for Senate Health Care Bill

ABC News’ Huma Khan reports: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., flatly said today that there are not enough votes in the House to pass the Senate health care bill. “In its present form, without any changes, I don’t think it’s possible to pass the Senate bill in the House,” Pelosi told reporters today. “I don’t see the votes for it at this time.” Taking a very different direction, Pelosi also said that she is not in a rush to get anything passed, indicating that Democrats could be in for another long haul on this issue.  “We have to know what our possibilities are,” she said. “Pause, reflect.” The speaker’s comments today closes the fast track route for Democrats who were hoping to pass a health care bill before Sen.-elect Scott Brown was seated. His win takes away the 60 votes Senate Democrats needed to avoid a Republican filibuster, and Brown campaigned against the health care legislation. Pelosi said “unease” would be a “gentle word” to categorize the feelings of members of the House, many of whom are taking issues with provisions in the Senate bill that give breaks to Nebraska and other states, and an excise tax on high-end insurance plans. But the speaker insisted that health care discussions will move forward. “Nothing is being discarded. Everything is on the table,” she said. Brown made his first appearance on Capitol Hill today, meeting with Senate leaders and talking to the press. “I am not in the favor of one size fits all. I am more of a states’ rights person,” he said of the health care bill.