Just minutes before the White House slammed a House GOP bill aimed at President Barack Obama's "if you like it, you can keep it" promise regarding health care plans, the No. 2 House Democrat said he was open to supporting the proposed change to the Affordable Care Act. House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer's willingness to consider voting for the bill, scheduled for floor consideration on Friday, underscores the difficulty many Democrats face in wanting to deal with the dust-up over health insurance policy cancellations while still supporting the president. "I don't know what I'm gonna do on the Upton bill," the Maryland Democrat said at a Tuesday briefing with reporters when discussing legislation sponsored by Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich. Hoyer noted that he was "inclined not to be for the Upton bill at this time," but he emphasized that he was "not closed to the option," and would "reserve judgment" until he had seen the legislative text, which is reportedly undergoing some tweaks. "I agree that people who purchased their policies prior to [the law's enactment date] ought to be able to keep their policies," he said. (more…)
