'Top Line' -- Does Pelosi Have the Votes for Health Care?

November 06, 2009 3:18 PM

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports:

Just hours before tomorrow's scheduled vote on a sweeping health care measure, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has yet to lock down the 218 votes she'll need to ensure the measure's passage, several congressional leadership aides tell ABC News.

Yet while House leaders are making noises about pushing the vote into early next week, the general consensus is that Democrats will ultimately get the votes they need. http://abcnews.go.com/WN/HealthCare/health-care-bill-vote-overshadowed-abortion-illegal-immigrant/story?id=9013981

On ABCNews.com's "Top Line" today, ABC Chief Washington Correspondent George Stephanopoulos told us that Democratic leaders are close to assuaging concerns inside the Congressional Hispanic Caucus over coverage for immigrants. But they still have work to do to mollify abortion-rights opponents, who want a concrete pledge that no federal funds will pay for abortions.

"They think they've got this mini-revolt over immigration by the members of the Hispanic caucus -- they think they've got it contained," Stephanopoulos said. "Bigger problem now is still abortion -- the 40, 41 House Democrats holding back their votes on health care because they don't want any public funding on abortion."

One big incentive for cutting a deal: Democrats don't want to force the bill through by the narrowest of margins.

"They don't want to squeak by here leaving the vote open for three hours, twisting that final arm, and getting to 218. I think they would like a cushion [of] 10-20 votes," Stephanopoulos said.

We also chatted about this week's election results, and the uptick in jobless claims that has the unemployment rate in double digits.

"The Democrats who are on the fence on health care … didn't need anything to make them a little more nervous," he said. "They were nervous going in, but this doesn't help, there's no question about that. I think the unemployment numbers today are particularly bad timing given the fact that the speaker hoped to vote on health care tomorrow."

Watch the full discussion with George Stephanopoulos HERE. George's guests Sunday include RNC Chairman Michael Steele, and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine.

We also chatted with filmmakers Dan Mirvish and Eitan Gorlin about their life as Marty Eisenstadt, surely one of the most famous pundits never to have existed.

They've got a new book out, "I Am Martin Eisenstadt," filling in the biographical details of Eisenstadt, the former McCain adviser and senior fellow at the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy -- who, we hasten to mention, does not actually exist.

Watch the interview with Dan Mirvish and Eitan Gorlin HERE.