White House: We Will Have The Votes To Pass Health Care Refom

The White House's top point person on health care reform expressed confidence on Sunday that Democrats would muster the votes to pass legislation, implying that the votes weren't there now.

Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform, was pressed repeatedly by host David Gregory as to whether there were enough supportive Democratic lawmakers to get a bill through.

"I believe that we will have the votes to pass this in Congress," DeParle said. "I believe that the president will keep fighting and that the American people want to have this kind of health reform."

"But you don't have the votes yet?" Gregory asked.

"Well, look, the president will have more to say about that later this week, and he's working with the Congress on how best to address that," DeParle answered.

With Democrats almost certainly set to use reconciliation to pass amendments to the Senate's health care bill (after the House passes that bill first), attention has turned to the House of Representatives where there are mounting doubts that Speaker Nancy Pelosi can corral a majority of her members behind the legislation.

The pending retirement of Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), the death of Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa), and a growing skittishness among conservative caucus members has frayed the already thin coalition that was necessary to pass reform the first go-around. But on Sunday, Pelosi conveyed optimism that she would still get the 217 votes needed.

"We're going to pass a health care bill," she said, during an appearance on CNN. "We'll have a very positive result, and it will be great for the American people."