President Obama and Democratic leaders met today to begin working on a final healthcare bill. The President met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), and other Democratic leaders to narrow the differences between the House and Senate bills. The Democratic leaders still have a few obstacles to overcome, one of them being a special election next week in Massachusetts to replace the late Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy. The surprisingly close race for this Senate seat could cost Democrats the 60th vote they need to pass the final bill through the Senate. Republican leaders believe that they may still be able to stop the bill because many House Democrats who supported the initial healthcare bill may not vote for the final version due to potential changes in provisions on abortion, Medicare cuts, and federal Medicaid aid to states.
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