WASHINGTON–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Obama White House are hunting for 216 Democratic votes for President Obama’s health care bill, but six Illinois Democrats are not at “yes” yet — with Rep. Luis Gutierrez emerging as a “no” — for now.
Obama gets no automatic breaks from some of his former Illinois congressional colleagues at this stage in the negotiations.
“Am I going to vote for the proposal as it is currently formulated? No,” Gutierrez told me Friday.
Gutierrez’s pledge of a no vote is linked to his pressure — with other immigrant rights groups — on the Obama team to try to pass a comprehensive immigration reform package this year.
Gutierrez and the caucus are also threatening not to support the Obama health plan because the legislation would not allow illegal immigrants to buy health insurance with their own money in the new federal exchanges that would be created in the plan.
Gutierrez was at the White House on Thursday with other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus meeting with Obama to discuss immigration in advance of a giant March 21 rally in Washington — which could come within days of the health vote.
There is linkage between health care and immigration reform, which is a reason the White House very publicly engaged in immigration meetings in past days. My guess is Gutierrez will eventually vote “yes” and is using leverage he has for now to prod Obama to make some public pledge on immigration.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2010/03/gutierrez_threatens_no_vote_on.html