House leaders say they have the votes to pass healthcare bill
March 21, 2010 5:21 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says Democrats will have the 216 votes needed to pass health care reform when it comes to the floor for a vote. The Maryland Democrat predicts that the bill, President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy, will pass on Sunday because the majority of Americans want it.
But House Republican leader John Boehner says the Democrats have yet to lock in the 216 votes required for passage. The Ohio Republican says the plan is a government takeover opposed by the vast majority of Americans.
The House leaders, speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press,"condemned the racial taunts hurled at congressmen during protests on Capitol Hill on Saturday.
