part two

A handful of vulnerable freshman from conservative districts – including Bright and Minnick – have been reliable “no” votes on just about everything Pelosi has shepherded through the House this year.

But Kratovil, Kosmas, Teague and McMahon all voted for the Speaker’s climate-change bill – votes that were critical to ensuring its passage when 44 Democrats joined all but eight Republicans in voting “no.” The bill passed by one vote.

The climate-change legislation – itself subject to considerable feuds within the Democratic Caucus – was pushed over the goal line in large part though considerable, last-minute lobbying from White House officials and President Barack Obama.

Obama on Friday was calling on-the-fence Democrats and stressing the importance of “moving the process forward,” according to one lawmaker who received a call. But the president’s impact was difficult to gauge.

Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Penn.), a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, said calls from Obama and a host of administration officials still hadn’t gotten him to “yes.”

“The worst thing we can do is make the existing system worse,” Altmire said. “The second worst thing we can do is to do nothing."



After canceling a trip to the Capitol on Friday, Obama was scheduled to meet with the House Democratic Caucus before noon Saturday at the Cannon House Office Building.

But even as late as 6 p.m. Friday, the scheduling staff of Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-Conn.) said they had no knowledge of when any meeting was taking place.

On Friday morning, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) warned that a planned Saturday night vote could be delayed until Sunday or next week if “delaying tactics” were employed. As of early Saturday morning, there were no signs that Republicans were planning such tactics during the debate, though GOP members hoped to stir some of Thursday's protest fervor against the bill with a second "House call" rally outside the Capitol at 1 p.m.

At the same time, Hoyer acknowledged that they were short votes, and speculation quickly spread through the caucus that Democrats might not be able to get there at all by Saturday night.

Altmire, who is leaning “no,” said he won't announce his vote before he casts it.

“It doesn't appear they have the votes,” Altmire said Friday afternoon. “They appear to be a fairly decent amount short.”

All 177 House Republicans have long been expected to vote against the bill, meaning that Democrats can lose no more than 40 of their 258 members and still pass their highest legislative priority.