Whip Count (No. 8 in a Series): Bad ‘Deal’ for Pelosi – Majority Number Back at 217
EmailAs we've previously covered, 220 members of Congress voted for the House Democrats' health care reform bill when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., brought the House legislation to a vote.
Since then, four yes votes are no more: Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, R-Louisiana, has said he won’t vote for final passage, Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hi., retired to run for governor, Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., also retired, and Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., died.
That means to pass the Senate bill, Pelosi starts out with 216 members of Congress who votes yes last time.
Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., had planned on resigning soon to run for governor, which would have brought the total number of Members of the House to 431, meaning a majority would be 216 votes.
But yesterday President Obama announced that he wanted an imminent vote in the next few weeks. And White House press secretary Robert Gibbs today said the president hoped for a House vote on the Senate health care reform bill by the day the president is scheduled to depart for Indonesia and Australia, March 18.
And as ABC News’ Rick Klein notes, Deal announced today that he would postpone his resignation until later in March.
“Yesterday, as I listened to President Obama's aggressive push for a quick vote on 'Obama-Care,' it was clear that I must stay in Congress and continue to fight against the most liberal health care agenda ever proposed,” Deal said in a statement.
The GOP House leadership immediately praised the decision.
House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the “American people need every vote they can get in the effort to stop it from being enacted. Nathan Deal’s decision to remain in Congress for the upcoming health care vote is indicative of his long dedication to standing up for a common sense approach to changing health care.”
Back to 217.
- jpt
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Glad to see the GOP is s far above “procedural tricks” to influence legislation. Isn’t Deal fleeing an ethics scandal anyway?
Posted by: Indy_Linda | March 4, 2010, 4:31 pm 4:31 pm
I did read some about an investigation related to a 1.7 million dollar program in the budget that he is supposed to have fought for because the company he has stake in gets about $300k from it.
As of 2008 the issue is still under investigation by the ethics committee.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | March 4, 2010, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
This is going to come down to a last minute buzzer beater from just past the half court line.. or maybe one lousy foul shot.. I’m getting ready to check the line in Vegas and in London.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | March 4, 2010, 4:51 pm 4:51 pm
This is a total waste of time, you’re covering the wrong chamber. The only way that health insurance reform is going to pass is by the Senate taking up the House bill as its reconciliation measure. Start counting Senate votes, not House ones.
Posted by: Flash Override | March 4, 2010, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
At least they’ll commit political suicide to pass this. Their suicide is the United States’ early Christmas present…or “holiday” present for you left-wing speech code types.
Posted by: Paradigm | March 4, 2010, 5:24 pm 5:24 pm
***This is a total waste of time, you’re covering the wrong chamber. The only way that health insurance reform is going to pass is by the Senate taking up the House bill as its reconciliation measure. Start counting Senate votes, not House ones.
Posted by: Flash Override | Mar 4, 2010 5:16:51 PM***
Actually thats not quite how Reconcilliation works.
House committee’s have to recommend change to a bill that is then packaged by the budget committee in the House, which is then passed by a simple majority of the House. That passed omnibus bill is then sent to the Senate for an amendment process and 20 hours of debate, then passed or defeated by a simple majority.
The entire omnibus bill can be ruled “extraneous” by any Senator, then the Presiding Officer(VP Biden) with advice from the Senate Parlimenatian either up holds or declines the ruling from the senator. This decision can be defeated with a 60% majority vote from the Senate. (Byrd rule)
IF after all that the Senate does rule that the Omnibus bill passed by the House is sound, then they can pass it with a 51 vote majority.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | March 4, 2010, 5:39 pm 5:39 pm
Sorry, not bill but a Law.
Posted by: bobtherepublican | March 4, 2010, 5:40 pm 5:40 pm
As I read the news (all of it) the water is getting deeper, the cliff is getting higher and the number of dems willing to take the jump is shrinking.
Good enough for em!
Posted by: smartlillena | March 5, 2010, 6:35 am 6:35 am
PELOSI IS THE BAD DEAL AND SHE SHOULD LEAVE THE COUNTRY. HOW MUCH OF TAXPAYERS MONEY HAS SHE USED JUST FLYING BACK & FORTH EVERY WEEKEND TO CAL? SHE IS SUPPOSED TO BE CATHOLIC AND SHE SUPPORTS ABORTION WHICH IS A MORTAL SIN. SHE IS THE WORST ALONG WITH OBOMBA OF ANY POLITICIAN I HAVE EVER SEEN.
Posted by: Barbara Michalski | March 5, 2010, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
House members have nothing to gain by voting for the Senate monstrosity. Why would they believe a promise that the Senate would change the bill they like the best?
Posted by: SpoutingHorn | March 5, 2010, 1:32 pm 1:32 pm
Oh and to FLASH OVERRIDE. It has to go back and forth to pass through this bs way they’re gonna try.
Posted by: Ryan | March 6, 2010, 7:06 am 7:06 am
I always read blogs in similar topic, but I never visited your blog. bookmarked and i’ll be your constant reader. Thanks
Posted by: Energierecht Ukraine | March 6, 2010, 9:30 am 9:30 am
obamias heajth care is to large i couldn t read it if some one held a gun to my head!if he wants to reform health care he s going to have a price cap on fees as well as the insurance com.this could be done by commission for differant part so the county appointed by state goverments to set max amount for services there should also be a cap on amount of interst that bank can receive and services that banks can charge! i am a republican one of the reason that i am a republican is a long time ago i started runing for public office but i couldn t get any help from the democrats so i ve been a republican from then on some people thank that the republicans are all money party but its usally the repyublican that get thing done for the general public i ve been abile to get thing done that if i asked a democrate to do i wouldn t have gettin amy thing done with best wishies god bless and yes i am a christian and willing to stand up for that to most people want to set on there rear ends and weight for some one else to do thing but i am not and i community is not!
Posted by: john mcdaniel | March 7, 2010, 1:36 pm 1:36 pm