Hispanic group seeking a voice in reform plan
House vote could come on Saturday

By The Associated Press Comments 4
Published: November 6, 2009

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and House Democrats scrambled on Thursday to secure the votes to pass an historic health care overhaul initiative, working to ease disagreements with rank-and-file over abortion and illegal immigration.

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Boren plans to vote no

WASHINGTON — Rep. Dan Boren, the only Democrat in Oklahoma’s congressional delegation, affirmed on Thursday that he would vote against the Democratic health care bill. A vote could come Saturday.

In a statement, Boren, D-Muskogee, said he supports improving health care access for Oklahomans but that the House bill would raise taxes and impose new burdens on small businesses.

"Finally, I do not believe that the possibility for taxpayer-funded abortion has been clearly and emphatically removed from this legislation. Although I support eliminating health insurance companies’ ability to deny applicants coverage based on pre-existing conditions, this 2,000-page and $1 trillion bill is just not the answer to America’s health care problems.”

Chris Casteel, Washington Bureau

Obama met at the White House with several Hispanic lawmakers who oppose any prohibition on the ability of illegal immigrants to use their own money to purchase health coverage in a new government-run marketplace.

"He listened to us. We listened to him,” said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. House Rules Committee Chairwoman Louse Slaughter, D-N.Y., said later that she did not believe there would be any change to the House bill.

The second-ranking Democrat in the House said lawmakers would debate and vote Saturday on the $1.2-trillion, 10-year measure that expands coverage to millions of uninsured in the U.S.

In a major boost, the American Medical Association and the powerful seniors’ lobby AARP both threw their weight behind the bill. AARP, with its 40 million members, promised to run ads and contact activists to gin up support.