Dow Jones
reports:
U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., a leader of fiscally conservative
House Democrats, said Wednesday a House plan to overhaul the
U.S. health-care system is losing support and will be stuck in
committee without changes. "Last time I checked, it takes seven
Democrats to stop a bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee,"
Ross told reporters after a House vote. "We had seven against
it last Friday; we have 10 today.
Three House committees are slated to begin considering the $1
trillion-plus bill this week, but the Energy and Commerce looms
as the biggest challenge. That's because it counts among its 36
Democratic members seven members of the Blue Dog Coalition, a
fiscally conservative bloc that is opposing the House
Democrats' effort.
Elsewhere in the article, Ross is quoted as saying, "The current
bill would have to be substantially amended before we could
consider supporting it."
Meanwhile, North Dakota Rep. Earl Pomeroy, a Democrat on the
House Ways and Means Committee, said he opposes the
bill because the government-run plan would drive down
reimbursement rates to doctors and hospitals.
House Democrats face a July 31st deadline for passing a health
care bill, unless they delay recess.
