Democrats unveil US health reform bill

Washington, March 19 (IANS) US Democratic leaders Thursday unveiled a final version of the health insurance reform bill, setting the stage for a vote this weekend in the House of Representatives, Xinhua reported.

According to non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill will cost $940 billion over the next 10 years, cutting the federal deficit by $138 billion.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer unveiled the bill in the Capitol, with Pelosi saying the bill is making "history" and "progress".

The bill will give coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans by 2016.

However, CBO said the estimate is preliminary, because it "has not thoroughly examined the reconciliation proposal to verify its consistency with the previous draft".

The favourable estimate is a boost to Democratic leaders, which would help them convince House Democrats who are unsure of the bill. With CBO's assessments made public, the House can publish the text of the bill for 72 hours of review before a vote in the Chamber.

The Democrats are setting the stage for a vote Sunday. Hoyer said Americans would benefit if the House passes the bill, "as we will Sunday".

Democratic leaders have been working hard to get the 216 votes they need in the House. As Republicans form a rock-solid position against the reform, whether Democrats stick together can make or break the bill.

Dennis Kucinich, the Democratic representative from Ohio, who opposed an earlier version of the bill when it passed through the House, announced Wednesday he is to support the new bill, boosting confidence in Democratic leadership.

The House had passed an earlier version of the health bill with a slim majority. This time around, they have even fewer votes, making it imperative to win over earlier opponents such as Kucinich.