Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a press conference today said that there weren’t enough votes in the House to pass the Senate health care bill, dealing another blow to the prospects that Democrats can pass comprehensive legislation.
TPM reports:
“I don’t see the votes for it at this time,” Pelosi said. “The members have been very clear in our caucus about the fact that they didn’t like it before it had the Nebraska provision and some of the other provisions that are unpalatable to them.”
“In every meeting that we have had, there would be nothing to give me any thought that that bill could pass right now the way that it is,” she said. “There isn’t a market right now for proceeding with the full bill unless some big changes are made.”
She also said, “We’re not in a big rush. Pause. Reflect upon what the possibilities are. We always have to go where we can build consensus.”
While she said, “We have to get a bill passed — we know that. That’s a predicate that we all subscribe to,” she didn’t outline a path to passage.
Josh Marshall’s interpretation: “In other words, plug pulled. Health care reform over.”
