Altmire Undecided on Health Care Bill

President Barack Obama is to head to Capitol Hill this morning (Saturday) to "rally the troops" one more time ahead of a landmark House vote on changes to the health care system. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the president will try to answer any lingering questions Democrats still have. Mr. Obama spoke on the phone with many of those undecided Democrats Friday, including Pennsylvania Congressman Jason Altmire of McCandless Township (Allegheny County). Altmire told DUQ News that it was "a good conversation" and he told the president about his concerns with the bill. Altmire says his district is split down the middle and he's hearing most about the impact on small businesses and jobs.
Altmire says that he will not vote for "a bill that adds to the federal deficit, this bill does pay for itself," and even though the proposed tax increase is on the the wealthy, "I feel it's misguided."
He says the insurance reforms are very good but "I have to weigh the balance of passing a flawed bill, furthering it in the process hoping we are going to achieve health care reform in a reasonable and rational way versus the implication of voting 'No' and kill the bill, coming up with nothing."
Altmire says he will talk with his constituents up to the time of the vote and then decide how they would want him to vote.