Hoyer Doubts House Will Vote On Health Care By Early November

By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service

While the approval of the America’s Healthy Future Act in the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday seemed to hasten the pace of health care reform, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) does not believe the House will be prepared to bring similar legislation to the floor by early November.

“I think it would be very doubtful that we would get a vote prior to the first week of November,” Hoyer said during a pen and pad session with reporters.

There has been some concern that the proximity of the ongoing debate over health care reform to two crucial gubernatorial campaigns in Virginia and New Jersey could sway the manner in which Congress shapes the legislation, a notion that Hoyer flatly rejected.

“Frankly, I think these gubernatorial elections…pretty much stand on their own,” the Majority Leader said. “They will have minimum effect on the health care deliberation.”

Hoyer stated that he believes the House will hold its vote by Christmas, but stressed that he could not guarantee it.

Initially, both Hoyer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sought to hold a vote prior to the August recess, a deadline originally pitched by the White House.