Ahead of a crucial health-care reform vote in the U.S. House of Representatives expected on Sunday, President Obama says members of Congress face a choice between supporting the interests of insurance companies or taking a historic step to meet the needs of Americans. Democratic leaders are voicing confidence they can achieve the 216 votes required to pass the legislation, while Republicans are vowing to do everything they can to kill it.
With President Obama reported to have told wavering Democratic lawmakers that vote could well determine the success of his presidency, he traveled a few kilometers from the White House to suburban Virginia to make a high visibility public appeal.
The president described the health care debate as being in its final stages after a century of struggle, saying it’s about the character of the United States rather than merely the cost of health care for Americans. “So the only question left is this: Are we going to let the special interests win once again? Or are we going to make this vote a victory for the American people?,” he said.
The legislation the House will vote on is estimated to cost $940 billion over ten years. But because of savings in some areas, the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says it could reduce the size of the federal deficit by $138 billion, something the president is hoping will attracting support from wavering Democrats.
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Obama Makes Final Public Appeal on Health Care
