Pelosi: Robust Public Option Is Not Dead

By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico- Talk Radio News Service

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) denounced reports that said she did not have enough votes for a “robust” public option Friday, saying the vote count has not been finalized and that any speculation about it is premature.

Pelosi’s comments came in response to an article published by Politico Friday morning in which Mike Allen reported that the Speaker had counted the votes and come up short on votes for a plan that included the plan.

“By no means is the count complete or has any decision been made,” Pelosi said in response during a press conference Friday.

The speaker did say that a robust public option is not the only way the bill could go and that conversations about the public option have begun to include discussions of a weaker version.

“At the end of the day we will have a public option in our legislation,” Pelosi said.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said that there has not been a count as to which version of the public option will be in the bill, but noted that developments in the Senate to possibly include a public option has given the House more flexibility.

“We are trying to inform our members of what we are trying to do, and we are trying to find out which one of these approaches will best suit the most people,” Clyburn said.