Speaker Nancy Pelosi says House Democrats have a plan to get the cost of their health bill below $900 billion over 10 years, the amount requested by President Barack Obama.
"Leaders and committee chairmen met Tuesday to discuss their options for shaving $200 billion from their proposals, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) affirmed in an afternoon press conference that her team has a plan for reaching its goal," Roll Call reports. "But the lawmakers broke without making final decisions and are expected to resume the discussion after receiving new estimates on the proposed cuts." As House leaders try to blend three different committee versions of the health bill, costs remain a major conundrum, "since a proposed surcharge on the rich has raised the hackles of freshmen and others in wealthy districts. One potential source of extra revenue is the pharmaceutical industry" (Newmyer, 9/30).