House committee OKs healthcare plan

WASHINGTON, March 15 (UPI) -- The House Budget Committee Monday advanced U.S. President Barack Obama's healthcare reform plan to the next committee in the legislative chain.

On a 21-16 vote, the committee sent the legislation to the House Rules Committee, which was expected to meet Thursday to draft language for the reconciliation bill, compiling a package of fixes to the $875 billion measure that the Senate approved Christmas Eve.

Democratic Reps. Chet Edwards of Texas and Allen Boyd of Florida both voted against the healthcare bill Monday, just as the voted against the House version of healthcare reform last fall

All 14 Republicans on the committee voted against the bill.