House inches closer to passage
Posted: Thursday, October 02, 2008 2:22 PM by Carrie Dann
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Congress, Mike Viqueira
From NBC's Mike Viqueira
At least two House members have publically said they are switching from 'Nay' to 'Aye' in their vote on the financial recovery package, which failed in the House Monday.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), a member of the Congressional Black Congress, revealed his intention on the air today in an interview with Andrea Mitchell.
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) has also declared that he will vote yes on the measure.
Video: Congressman Peter Defazio tells MSNBC's Alex Witt he remains opposed to the bailout bill, and that the president can take several steps on his own to help with economy without spending $700 billion.Supporters of the bill need a net switch of 12 votes in favor of the bill to cross the finish line. The vote failed 228-205 on Monday.
Earlier today, House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel predicted that all the Senate add-ons to the bailout/recovery package "pretty much guarantees that it will go through." Speaking to reporters as he entered the speaker's suite for a meeting, Rangel said that he is "confident" that the bill will pass tomorrow.
(Rangel is neither part of leadership nor a whip, so he may not have definitive information on which to base his assessment. But as a longtime member and key player in Congress, he knows a thing or two about how his colleagues make their decisions on how to vote.)
*** UPDATE *** Arizona Republican Rep. John Shadegg told NBC's Norah O'Donnell this afternoon that he also has decided to vote for the measure. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-MN, said during an interview with David Shuster on MSNBC that she is still opposed to the bill.