Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/democrats-health-bill-nears-house-vote Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript Betty Ann Bowser speaks with key policymakers about the ongoing health care debate surrounding House Democrats' new reform proposal. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. BETTY ANN BOWSER: On the eve of bringing a health care reform bill to the floor, the House Rules Committee met today to set the framework for debate. The panel's top Republican, David Dreier of California. REP. DAVID DREIER, R-Calif.: The American people have sent a very clear and strong message. They believe that we should take time to look at legislation. BETTY ANN BOWSER: New Jersey Democrat Frank Pallone. REP. FRANK PALLON, D-N.J.: You can say whatever you want, but, I mean, I don't want anybody to suggest that there haven't been months and years of hearings on this and every aspect of this bill. BETTY ANN BOWSER: The process is less a concern for Democrats than whether they actually have the votes to pass the bill. Yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi predicted she would be victorious. QUESTION: Do you have the 218 for the rule and the bill?REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-Calif., speaker of the house: We are — we will. We will. BETTY ANN BOWSER: Today, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Democrats were very close to securing the votes needed to pass the bill. The vote, which had been set for Saturday, could now slip into Sunday or later.Many Democrats are still on the fence. Jason Altmire, a conservative Blue Dog Democrat from Western Pennsylvania, is one of them. REP. JASON ALTMIRE, D-Penn.: I'm still thinking it through. I'm talking to my constituents. As we speak today, I have several meetings with constituents, both from the right, the tea party activists, and from the left, the Health Care for America Now group. And I'm on the phone all day long talking to people back home, reading the bill. And I'm going to make my decision before the vote.