Democrats have enough votes to pass healthcare bill: lawmakers

WASHINGTON, March 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer said Sunday that Democrats have garnered enough votes to push the healthcare legislation through the lower chamber.

Hoyer told NBC television's "Meet the Press" that the legislation will clear the House because the majority of Americans want it.

Representative John Larson, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, echoed Hoyer in an interview with ABC television's "This Week" program.

"We have the votes. We are going to make history today," he said. "President (Franklin) Roosevelt passed Social Security, (President) Lyndon Johnson passed Medicare and today, Barack Obama will pass health care reform."

The bill seemed to be hanging by a thread just days ago, with politically vulnerable Democrats worrying about its potential damage to their re-election later this year. But as Democratic leaders worked the rank-and-file, and Obama weighed in personally, the balance has been shifting to his side in the past few days.

The House is scheduled to hold a set of floor votes later on Sunday: First, on a resolution that will set the terms of debate; second, on a package of amendments to the Senate bill, which is called the "reconciliation bill;" and third, on the Senate bill itself.