U.S. House Democrats to bring health care reform bill to whole floor

The U.S. House Democrats will take their sweeping health care reform bill to the whole floor later this week, said a leader on Tuesday.

"It is our intention either Friday or Saturday to have this bill on the floor," said House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer at a press conference, adding that the House may vote on the bill next Monday and Tuesday.

The House is facing a deadline to have the health care reform bill signed into law by the end of the year, as the top domestic priority for President Barack Obama's presidency.

Last week, House Democrats, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have offered a 1,990-page bill, combining different versions drafted by three House committees, which would cost 894 billion U.S. dollars over next 10 years and cover 96 percent of Americans.

The Senate, which has also unveiled its unified health care reform legislation, is also expecting debates over the bill at the whole floor.

Both of the two bills include the public option, which Obama and supporters believe would create competition in the insurance market, but critics say would result in the takeover of the industry by the government.

Despite controversies and differences over the legislation, Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus reaffirmed on Tuesday that Congress could manage to have it passed before the end of the year.

Source: Xinhua