House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday that the final health care bill will not include a public option, claiming that the blame belongs to the upper chamber because "they don't have the votes."
It doesn't appear that simple. A HuffPost analysis of Senate commitments indicates that there would be at least 50 votes for a reconciliation package in the Senate that includes a public option. The administration, however, has shown very little interest in a public option, and as pro-life, pro-public option Democrats abandon the bill in the House, Pelosi struggles to find the needed votes in her own chamber.
A new ad being broadcast in San Francisco -- Pelosi's district -- and Washington, D.C., calls on the House Speaker to make one final push, putting responsibility for the public option squarely in her hands. The organizations behind the ad, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee,, Democracy for America and Credo Action, plan a $75,000 ad buy, co-founder Adam Green said.
Video of Ad at link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/15/nancy-pelosi-public-optio_n_498874.htmlKeep the pressure on. The reconciliation bill is not finalized, yet.