Democrats in the US House of Representatives said they had secured enough support to pass a sweeping healthcare overhaul.
House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer predicted victory in tomorrow’s vote on the biggest revamp of the $2.5 trillion US healthcare system in four decades, although only a razor-thin margin is expected.
‘Clearly, we believe we have the votes,’ Hoyer told reporters. ‘We expect we have the votes to pass the Senate bill.’
House Democratic leaders spent today in a whirlwind of closed-door meetings and conversations on the House floor with wavering party members as they tried to nail down the 216 votes needed for final approval.
President Barack Obama travelled to Capitol Hill to rally support and urged House Democrats to ‘stand up’ and take what he acknowledged could be a tough vote politically.
‘I know what pressure you are under,’ Mr Obama told the Democrats. ‘This is one of those moments. This is one of those times where you can honestly say to yourself: 'Doggone it, this is exactly why I came here.'’
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid joined Mr Obama at the rally and told House Democrats he had commitments from ‘a good majority’ of the 100-member Senate to pass the changes to the healthcare bill the House will take up on Sunday.
Mr Reid's office released a letter to Nancy Pelosi from Senate Democrats pledging their support for the changes, which they would take up once they are approved by the Senate, but did not say how many senators had signed it.
Under heavy Republican criticism and pressure from some Democrats, Democratic leaders backed away from a controversial proposal to pass the Senate bill, which is unpopular with House Democrats, without a direct vote.
Democratic aides said instead the House will take at least three votes on Sunday - on the rule setting the process, the revisions to the Senate bill sought by House Democrats and on the Senate bill itself.
