Hoyer Says House May Have Votes for Reconciliation-altered Bill.

AFP (1/27) reports House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said "Congress should know by next week how they will proceed on his embattled plan to remake US health care." He said "Democrats were united in wanting to move ahead with the historic overhaul and pass legislation but had no illusions after an early election-year defeat stripped them of their undisputed control of the Senate."

Roll Call notes Rep. Hoyer "outlined the idea" of using budget reconciliation Tuesday, saying "that pursuing a scaled-back version of health care reform is also being considered, and that Democrats are hoping to agree on a path forward by next week." He said that while the House does "not have the votes to pass the Senate's $871 billion measure as is," it "might be able to do so if it is 'corrected' via a reconciliation bill."

The Hill adds in his comments, "Hoyer took a different track than Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who said last week there was 'no rush' to figure out how to pass healthcare."

But according to Bloomberg News, Hoyer "cast doubt on the idea of passing a series of smaller measures as an alternative." He said, "It is difficult to take small pieces and attain the objectives you want to accomplish."

Still, "Hoyer outlined what might fit into a stripped-down health care bill, even while cautioning that Democratic leaders are not sold on the idea," CQ Today reports. Among the provisions, Hoyer "mentioned ending the antitrust exemption for health insurers," creating a "limited exchange," and creating small business purchasing pools.