Healthcare reform

Democrats in Congress appear to be honing their various healthcare reform measures to include a public option.

While neither house of Congress yet has a bill to take to its floor, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she has nearly enough votes to pass a bill that would include a wording that creates a government-run program to compete with private insurers.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who took a team of negotiators to the White House Thursday, has been considering the idea of a public option that would allow for states to opt out.

The public option has been a sticking point for healthcare reform. The White House has said U.S. President Barack Obama wants it and liberal members of Congress have said they wouldn't vote for a reform package unless it included one. More conservative members have said they wouldn't vote for a plan that had the public option plan.

The House of Representatives is melding measures from three committees while the Senate has two committee reports to make into one bill. House and Senate members would have to meet to work out differences in whatever bills pass floor votes. It is unclear when any full-chamber debate or votes would take place.