Washington (CNN) - House Democrats are adding two new members to their team Thursday and Friday, just hours before a crucial floor vote on health care reform.
Representative-elect John Garamendi will be sworn in by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Thursday afternoon. Garamendi, California's lieutenant governor, won a special election Tuesday to fill his state's 10th congressional district seat, which was left open when fellow Democrat Ellen Tauscher resigned to become the State Department's Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs. Garamendi easily defeated Republican candidate David Harmer in the heavily Democratic district northeast of San Francisco and Oakland.
Friday Represenative-elect Bill Owens is expected to be officially sworn in as a member of Congress. Owens won a close contest for New York's 23rd congressional district over Conservative Party candidate Dough Hoffman. The official Republican Party candidate, Dede Scozzafava, dropped out of the race Saturday after she plummeted in public opinion polls, as the right flooded Hoffman with campaign support and contributions. Owens became the first Democrat to win the district in over a century. The House seat in the district in northern New York State opened up after nine-term Republican Rep. John McHugh stepped down after being confirmed as Secretary of the Army.
After Owens in sworn on Friday, the House will be back at full strength, with 435 members. Thanks to their victories in Tuesday's special elections, the Democrats will increase their majority by one, and will hold a 258 to 177 advatange in the chamber.
Saturday's health care vote is expected to be close. If all House members are present, 218 votes will be needed to pass the bill.
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter @psteinhausercnn
From CNN Politics
© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Contact us | Work for us | Help
Now that the elections are over can Obama make a decision regarding our troop levels?
Or are there more elections that need to occur before he can make an unpopular decision?
Politics before America is Obama's battle cry!!!!!
Healthcare reform is badly needed, anyone who disagrees work for the Insurance Industry.
Finally, the media has been talking about the two governor races won by Republicans, but the Democrats gained a seat in Congress, from a "conservative" area of the country. Apparently, the people aren't buying the lies about health care reform.
Yes, please do pass the Harakiri, er uh, I mean "healthcare" bill.
We're keeping score and we have long memories... a YES vote on the Federal Annexation of Healthcare buys a Congressman a one-way ticket to the unemployment line next November.
Unfortunately for Barry, I think we've found something Democrats love more than healthcare "reform"... getting re-elected.
First I would like to thank Sara Palin for Rep. Owens. I have a question?
Who and what determines whether someone is a true Republican. Is it Steele, Palin, Limbaugh or who and what is on the test?
Maybe we will see real health care reform.
Thanks again Sara
Let's "get 'er done."
I don't understand how anyone could be against free healthcare. Think about it, it's FREE. Man I am looking for anything that is free in this economy plus I don't particularly like to work. Keep giving me that check, get me my free healthcare and I vote (D) all the way!!!
Wow! Just what America needs 2 more Left Wing Wacko Dummycrats. And Minor League ones too! Wake Up America as they did in New Jersey and Virginia!
We need heathcare reform NOW...let's hope the Democrats pass it. Republicans are digging in their heels as we speak.
Blue Dogs or any one else that supports this lousy plan....You will be next to be voted out..............We don't want this crap you are trying to shove down our throats and our votes will reflect that. Get to work on creating real insurance reform and get out of the lawyers bed. We all want reform, not the crap you are trying to force feed us. You know it's a bad bill and so do we.
They had all better be present on that day...to vote down this shameful illegal health care bill that further voids the systematic gutting of the US Constitution.
Lets Get Health Care Passed, Lets Stop With The Delay Tactics.
Public option now! Employee free choice act tomorrow... finally our country will have a backbone again... Life is good
NO, no and NO! The American people DO NOT want this BILL!!!
Why don't these elected officials listen!
After next election Democrats will be extinct anyhow after this health care package hits home.Who is going to pay the bills ,ACCORN people? Are the 50 percent who have not had a job since 1960 going to go to work? I hardly think so.
Great! Time to get forceful and make CHANGE happen! If the right wants to sit on the sidelines and try and derail Everything Obama tries to do – we have to get tough. Make it happen!
Wait until next year. The Dems will have even more.
This country is not ready for a ghost "facebook" radical leader dictating what we do and do not think, and the anger and hate and negativity stirred up constantly.
The Palin/Bachman pair needs to run in 2012 if they think they want to dictate which church, which doctor, which insurance company we support, or which state to destroy next with oil wells.
They both need exorcists – AGAIN !!
Just a warning to all those dems in red-districts that climbed on Obama's coattails in '08..... 2010 is less than a year away. And a vote for this travesty of a health care plan may be one of your last votes. We, the American people, are not that stupid, and we will not be fooled a second time.
...listening to all the carping from Republicans yesterday, you'd think they had a clean sweep. They won 2 governerships...Corzine was lucky to even be close and McConnell won with the non-help of minorities/Dems that were energized by the POTUS election. Fine. they won.... With a net gain of 1 in the House, it will further increase the Dems hold and will enable them to even more simply say "Go you know what yourself" (aka Dick Cheney) to the republicans who scream about policy matters and try to block anythng and everything Obama proposes
A those whack-job neo-cons think they won on Tuesday. They are completely dillusional and have divorced themselves from reality completely. So Virginia picked republicans – Not a surprise. The big deal was that a district held by a republican since the Civil Ward would rather go Democrat that put up with any more neo-con mess! That is the message the GOP needs to get!
If you want to know what government healthcare looks like, just look at the VA Hospitals. You think you may have a heart condition? Ok, we have you scheduled for a meeting with our Dr. in 7 months. See you then!
We keep hearing about the Republican victories in new jersey and Virginia.
Little has been said about the two Democratic winns for Congress.
Their victory in CD-23 in New York is a major victory. No Democrat has won this seat since the Civil War. this is something for the Democrats to capitolize on.
The Democrats should be pro-active supporting the split in the Republican party everywhere they can. It is time for the Democrats to play hardball and this is one way they can do it.
I just checked Wikepedia. Your comments regarding the first Democrat to win that seat in 150 years is flat wrong. CNN check your facts.
I thought the Dems were big losers on Tuesday? Oh wait, governors don't have a vote in Congress.... Keep living the pipe dream Republicans.
Keep it up, american voters. You're going to get what you deserve. Unfortunately all of the smart people are going to have to suffer right along with all of the morons that have put these people in power.
No Rules barred for Pelosi to do what she wants done, not what the people want done....
Ah yes, and the tea baggers in the main time are crowing about the two goverors they picked up, I'll see your two govenors and raise you five congressmen, all dems. The NY 23 race was the big upset, not since the civil war has a dem been elected from this district, now that is something to crow about.
And all we heard about in the mainstream media yesterday was about the gains made by the GOP. Liberal media? Yeah, right.
When voters find out the true cost of this health care entitlement (Not a Right!) and its purpose of eventual single payer universal health care, the two newest members of Congress will have short one year terms.
That's good. The more the better. However, I'm not so much worried about healthcare reform bill passing in the House, but in the Senate. That is why I'm all for the Reconciliation procedure to pass the darn thing. The Right Wing Nujobs, Republicants, Conservatives, or whatever they call themselves used the Reconciliation procedure to pass George Bush's massive $1.3 trillion tax cut in 2002 and now they are crying that it will be a bad idea and tantamount for a declaration of civil war for the Democrats to use it. If that's the way they feel, I say, bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They had better pass it and put pressure on the Senate. With AARP on board, the Senate will have no choice but to pass something and get it done.
The House plan is the right plan. The GOP plan is terrible. CBO says it will only extend coverage to 3 million more by 2019 compared to 36 million more under the Dem plan.
Thank you Sarah Palin!!! Your effort along with the other whack jobs like Armey added a Democrat to the House For the first time since the Civil War there is a Democrat representing NY23 Job well done!!!!
How many blue dog and other moderate democrats did they lose with the results in NJ and VA? More than 2, I predict.
Yes rightwingers. WE 'real' Americans increased our majority in the House. You real Amerikans got sand pounded into your nether regions by your own lord and lady Limbaugh and Palin who once again stuck their perverted noses in where they didn't belong. Like in the 1990s you morons will be dragged kicking and screaming into progress and prosperity......just like the spoiled child who kicks and screams out of ignorance and mis-placed fear about going to the doctor for the benefit of his own health.
We will be watching this vote very carefully and everyone better show up and you Democrats better stand behind this President and vote for the Health Care Bill........if the Republicans want to boycott the vote and not show up, that's fine, they are boycotting the Climate Bill, they are the Party of NO, it is very evident that they do not want to work with this President and his admistration, so do it with out them.........who needs them anyway.......Watching and taking Names
Ah, hmm, this is GREAT!!! While "PALIN and her MERRY MEN" are running around trying to capitalize on the wins in VA and NJ – the Democrats are SNEAKING in the BACK DOOR!! ROTFLMAO!!!
You should also pay attention to the mayor races in NC – GAY mayor and the first Democrat and African American won in another county since Harvey Gantt… YES WE CAN!!!
While the Party of NO is trying to establish a FAR-RIGHT Party to NOWHERE – the democrats will get the job done!!! LOL
Whew, what a relief, because you know a 256-177 majority would have been way too close! Yep, a real squeaker. So exactly how many Blue Dogs are there?
Wait just one minute, I thought it was the republicans who won the day? How could this be? A democrat won the most conservative seat in the nation, but yet, the news said it was a republican day of winning.
Who is the President negotiating with but other liberal democrats!
Yes, and the neo-cons were beating their chests because they won 2 governships.
By the way, cons, the governors do not get to vote FOR health care reform the two seats the Dems won ran on voting for health care reform.
Now, which of the two "winning" classes would you have preferred to be in, two governors or two voting House seats?
The mantra that conservative Dems should be afraid and "the people have spoken for small government, blah, blah blah" is just that, hot air paid for by Dick Armey and his paid teabaggers and astroturfers.
The proof is in which party picked up voting wins and which party picked up 2 symbolic wins.
Dems afraid? Indeed.
pass the bill already! lets have some compettion