Democrats Close In as Health Vote Approaches

[Jennicut]

Democrats Close In as Health Vote Approaches
By Steven T. Dennis and Tory Newmyer
By Steven T. Dennis and Tory Newmyer
Roll Call Staff
March 20, 2010, 11:22 p.m.

The ranks of undecided House Democrats continued to shrink late Saturday night, with leaders confident they would find the votes even though they still appeared to be a handful short.

A key group of undeclared Members included retiring Reps. Marion Berry (D-Ark.), Brian Baird (D-Wash.) and John Tanner (D-Tenn.), all of whom leaders hope will be with them in the end. Berry backed the bill the first time around, while Baird and Tanner would be pickups.

The White House was trying to placate at least a few of those Members with an executive order reiterating that no federal funds would be spent on abortions under the bill. Drafts of that order were circulating around the Capitol on Saturday night.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that if an executive order was sufficient to restart stem-cell research, it ought to be sufficient to put to rest the abortion controversy. But he said late Saturday that it had not yet been resolved.

“It’s still an issue,” he said.

With the undeclared dwindling toward the single digits, Democratic vote-counters were facing a narrowing path to 216, the number of “yes” votes needed to pass the measure.

The hope, as of Saturday evening, was that the executive order would bring aboard at least three in the Stupak camp — Reps. Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Pa.), Steve Driehaus (D-Ohio) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) — and maybe one more, between West Virginia Reps. Nick Rahall (D) and Alan Mollohan (D). And leaders were eager to lock down Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.), who also supported House passage. http://www.rollcall.com/news/44442-1.html

So, we seem to be close. It depends on if the group of former Stupak supporters decide to stay with him or agree with the President's pitch of an executive order regarding abortion.