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US House Leaders Eye Saturday Vote On Health-Care Bill

By Patrick Yoest and Martin Vaughan, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The U.S. House is slated to vote on anticipated health-care legislation as soon as Saturday, despite unresolved disputes among Democrats on abortion and immigration issues.

Lawmakers said House Democratic leaders are eyeing a full debate Saturday with a vote that evening on the bill, for which they must find 218 votes to win passage.

"It would be, beginning to end, Saturday most likely," said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D., N.Y.).

Asked about a Saturday evening vote, House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) said "that's what I've been hearing, but it's not been decided yet."

The House Rules Committee has planned a meeting on the legislation for Friday, which allows the House to debate it on Saturday. A "manager's amendment" making modifications to the bill was released late Tuesday evening.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said Democratic victories in House races in New York and California added two more yes votes for the health-care bill. A Pelosi spokesman said the two new members, John Garamendi of California and Bill Owens of New York, could be sworn in as soon as Thursday.

House leaders Wednesday continued talks aimed at solving intra-party disputes over abortion and immigration issues that are part of the health bill.

House Rules Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D., Calif.) said she expected that compromise language aimed at preventing federal funding of abortion, drafted by Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D., Ind.), would be in the bill.

Ellsworth's language falls short of what some anti-abortion groups had sought, because it doesn't stipulate that federal tax credits can't be used to purchase a plan under which abortion is covered. It seeks to ensure that, to the extent abortions are provided, they are paid for out of the covered person's premium contributions, not out of the federal tax subsidies.

"When it became apparent there was some question about whether the Stupak language was going to make it in, I said I'd better do something to keep federal money from funding abortion," said Ellsworth.

Ellsworth said the Congressional Research Service provided an opinion that his provision will ensure that no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions.

In a nod to Democrats with concerns about illegal immigration, House leaders added a provision in a manager's amendment late Tuesday that would add a verification procedure for those seeking coverage in high-risk insurance pools set up in the bill.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, according to a spokesman for the group, "is satisfied with the current language in the manager's amendment." But some members of the caucus are on guard against further changes they worry would impose onerous requirements.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D., Ill.) said he is concerned that the bill could still be altered to bar illegal immigrants from accessing a health-insurance exchange to purchase insurance. Gutierrez suggested that Americans would bear the medical costs of those illegally residing in the country who sought emergency care when they become sick.

"Even when they want to pay their fair share, they say 'No, not you, you can't abide by the rules'," Gutierrez said. "This is nonsense."

-By Martin Vaughan, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9244; martin.vaughan@ dowjones.com

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires
  11-04-091733ET
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