Pelosi Prepares to Move Ahead With 'Robust' Public Option

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is on the verge of pushing ahead with a liberal version of the public insurance option in a health care overhaul, pending the result of a final survey of House Democrats on the issue.

[...] Pelosi asked Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and his team to spend the next 24 hours testing whether the proposal will gather at least 218 votes, top House aides said. Democratic leaders are also awaiting final estimates from the Congressional Budget Office on the preferred version — known as the robust public option — and two others that would rely on rates the federal government would negotiate with providers.

Liberal leaders sounded confident their version would garner the support it needs.

SOURCE: Roll Call