Falling Short

House May Lack Health-Care Votes

Says Hoyer.

Discouraging news for health-care advocates: With Thursday’s summit between President Obama and Republicans expected to produce no real breakthroughs, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is warning that he may lack the votes to pass health-care reform. "We may not be able to do all. I hope we can do all," he tells The Wall Street Journal. While he supports a "comprehensive piece of legislation," he adds, "If you can’t do a whole, doing part is also good.” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs also snuffed liberals’ hopes of a public-option revival, saying on Tuesday, “There isn’t enough political support in the majority to get this through.”