For the last six months President Barack Obama has been struggling in every sense of the word to pass his healthcare reform bill. The fact that it still has not been passed is an indication of the lobbying power of the insurance companies, the opposition of the GOP and the lack of conviction on the part of some Democrats.
But this month could be decisive and that is a sentiment shared by The President himself. He believes it so strongly that he has delayed a scheduled trip to Asia by three days in order to lobby the lawmakers. Obama wants the House and Senate to come to a decision before the two week recess begins on the 26th of March.
David Axelrod, White House Senior advisor, believes that the House of Representatives will vote favorably. However, senior democrats have admitted that they do not have the votes as yet, but were working on it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated that this week could be the decider saying that “members are eager to pass a bill”.
The Republicans will not make things easy by any means having vowed to do everything in their power to stop the bill from passing. Whichever way the vote goes, the GOP will consider it a win as it will add more ammunition in their anti-Obama campaign.
If the bill does pass, it will be the biggest healthcare reform in over 40 years and would enable every American to obtain health insurance without discrimination.