WAOW - Newsline 9, Wausau News, Weather, SportsRep Obey says he thinks health care legislation will pass the House

Rep Obey says he thinks health care legislation will pass the House

By Katie Rosenberg

WASHINGTON DC (WAOW)--Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland says Democrats haven't yet lined up enough votes to pass their health care overhaul bill and may push the vote set for Saturday back one day or more.

Hoyer says the vote that House Democrats had scheduled for Saturday could slip to Sunday or early next week.

He acknowledged that Democratic leaders don't yet have the 218 votes needed.

However Wausau Congressman Dave Obey says he thinks the legislation will pass. "I would be astounded and distressed if members of congress who have decent health care for themselves would not vote to provide that same right to every other American," the Democrat said in a phone interview.

Congressman Obey will be at his Wausau office on Monday to discuss the health care bill. The press conference is tentatively scheduled for 2:30 pm.  

The White House says President Barack Obama still expects to have a health care overhaul bill to sign by year's end.

He plans to personally lobby for it in a visit to Capitol Hill Saturday to make a personal appeal to the Democratic rank and file in a visit today to Capitol Hill.

(The Associated Press Contributed to this Report)

Online Reporter: Katie Rosenberg