WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday she thought Democrats in Congress would still produce healthcare legislation despite recent difficulties, saying no bill was not an option.
“I don’t see that (no bill) as a possibility; we will have something,” Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol.
Many Democrats have become pessimistic about finding a quick way forward for healthcare. Months-long efforts to pass a comprehensive overhaul have stalled after their party last week lost a crucial 60th Senate vote needed to pass the measure.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Tuesday there was “no rush” to find a new healthcare strategy, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said one option was not to pass a bill. But Pelosi said Wednesday she did not want to drop the project.
“Let’s put it this way. The present (healthcare) system is unsustainable. We can no longer afford it,” she told reporters after appearing with representatives of the Special Olympics.
“We will make every effort to have a health care bill. But we will make progress, whatever it is, one way or the other, we will go forward with that,” she said.
Democrats said they had no clear plan after a series of closed-door meetings on Tuesday to discuss a short list of imperfect healthcare options before President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Wednesday night.
Under the most discussed plan, the House would pass the Senate health bill, eliminating the need for another Senate vote, and both chambers would pass House-sought changes to the Senate bill through a process called reconciliation.
That parliamentary procedure would require a simple majority of 51 votes in the Senate, but risk a possible political backlash by bypassing unified Republican opposition to a bill that polls say is unpopular with the public.
