U.S. health reform gets House boost, battle heads home

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats pushed healthcare reform legislation forward in a key congressional panel on Friday but the battle over President Barack Obama's top policy goal looked ready to move outside Washington as lawmakers prepared for a month-long break.

With polls showing the public wary of the cost and scope of the healthcare reforms, Democrats said they needed Obama to keep up the pressure as they lobby their constituents to support legislation to rein in costs, improve care and cover most of the 46 million uninsured Americans.

"We need to go out and make an impressive case over August," White House political adviser David Axelrod told reporters after meeting with House Democrats just before the third and last panel in the House of Representatives, Energy and Commerce, was to act on its healthcare legislation.

The district-to-district battle is expected to be intense, with Republicans gearing up to stop Obama's reform plan.

The Republican National Committee is spending nearly $1 million on television and radio ads in 33 states targeting Senate leaders and fiscal conservatives of the House of Representatives.

Many of these conservative Democrats could be vulnerable in the 2010 midterm election -- one reason Obama and his fellow Democrats who control Congress are eager to put healthcare behind them by the end of this year.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE56M0HE20090731

[and-justice-for-all]

1. Bring It! nt