By Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images President Obama will make an announcement sometime next week on "the way forward" in health care, spokesman Robert Gibbs said today.
The big question: Will he support congressional "reconciliation," a legislative process that could enable Democrats to pass Obama’s comprehensive $950 billion health care plan and avoid a Senate Republican filibuster.
Gibbs said Obama will consult with congressional Democrats in the days ahead. The president hasn’t made any final decisions, Gibbs added, only that he wants an up-or-down vote on health care.
The president himself made the same point at yesterday’s summit with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders.
At the end of that session, Obama told Republicans: "The question that I’m going to ask myself, and I ask of all of you is, ‘is there enough serious effort that in a month’s time or a few weeks’ time or six weeks’ time we could actually resolve something?’ And if we can’t, then I think we’ve got to go ahead and some make decisions, and then that’s what elections are for."
Republicans have said the use of reconciliation will defy the will of voters who oppose the scope of Obama’s health care plan, and would disrupt the operations of Congress.
"It could harm the future of our country and our institution," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who lost to Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign.
Obama announces ‘way forward’ in health care next week – The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency