From The Hill:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scrambling to push back the notion she lacks the votes for a “robust” public option.
Pelosi (D-Calif.) called an emergency meeting of her caucus Friday morning to declare that she has not abandoned the push for including that provision in a healthcare bill.
The Speaker met late Thursday night with the Progressive Caucus, the bloc of Democrats most supportive of a robust public option, and assured them that it was still on the table, according to a member in attendance.
Here’s Pelosi’s problem:
The Hill reported Thursday night that a survey of Democrats shows Pelosi and her leadership team are a handful of votes short of the 218 they need to guarantee passage of a healthcare bill containing the public option favored by liberals. That public option would be tied to current Medicare rates for hospitals and ‘Medicare plus 5 percent” for doctors.
Nancy, we’re lovin’ the panic!