11 March 2010 / REUTERS, WASHINGTON
The leader of the US House of Representatives -- a persuasive arm-twister and deal maker -- faces her toughest challenge yet in the coming weeks: getting 216 votes to pass final legislation revamping the US healthcare system.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scrambling to hit that number and will likely have to rely solely on fellow Democrats, many of them undecided. All Republicans appear lined up against it. If all Democrats voted as they did last year on an earlier version of the bill, Pelosi would reach 216. But many may switch from yes to no -- or no to yes. “This is her toughest political and legislative battle since becoming speaker” in 2007,” said Ethan Siegal of The Washington Exchange, a private firm that tracks Congress for institutional investors. “She doesn’t have the votes yet, but nobody is counting her out,” Siegal said. “She’s proven that she knows how to get them.” If Pelosi prevails, President Barack Obama will be a big step closer toward signing into law an overhaul of the $2.5 trillion US healthcare system. But if Pelosi falls short of 216, a simple majority, public anger about the often-gridlocked Congress may mount, making it more difficult for Democrats to retain control of the House in the November election.
